


One Look (And My Heartbeat Stops)

by JustABoxOfWords



Series: Box's Reincarnation!Verse [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Happy Ending, I promise, Kinda, M/M, Reincarnation, there's death in this y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 22,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28505853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustABoxOfWords/pseuds/JustABoxOfWords
Summary: After years of training, Kyoutani had finally scored his dream job as guard to Crown Prince Yahaba. Now all he had to do was put up with the guy. (Though that may end up being easier than he expected)Or the KyouHaba Fantasy/Reincarnation AU nobody asked for.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kyoutani Kentarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Series: Box's Reincarnation!Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088087
Comments: 55
Kudos: 117





	1. Do We Have a Deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Welcome to my first foray into fanfiction. Strap yourselves in, because this is gonna be a long one.
> 
> Title is from Avalanche by Walk The Moon, the song that inspired this piece and the only thing I listened to while writing it :')

Kyoutani sat back in his chair, looking around the waiting room. The furniture was all intricately carved wood, the silk curtains fluttering with the faint spring breeze blowing in through the window. The chair he was sat in was soft, the lilac fabric perfectly matched to the rest of the room. It was far more opulent than any of the other rooms he’d been allowed into previously.

He let that thought sink in for a moment. He was here. In the royal wing of the castle, about to take a job that would cement his name in history. The day had finally come. The biggest moment of Kyoutani’s life. He’d made it. Five years of endless sparring and examinations had paid off. He was going to be sworn into Aoba Johsai’s royal guard. And it felt damn good.

A soft rhythmic thudding sound pulled Kyoutani from his thoughts and he turned to the source of the noise. His superior, Iwaizumi, the captain of the guard and personal protector of the king, tapped his foot over and over as he leant against a cabinet. The relaxed line of his face told Kyoutani that he wasn’t anxious, just finding a way to kill the time.

His presence was reassuring as Kyoutani turned to look out the window next to him. The sun was high in the sky, the trees pink with the first blossom of the year. Any minute now it would be noon, and his moment to shine would arrive.

Several more minutes passed in comfortable silence until a knock on the door grabbed both men’s attention. Iwaizumi stopped, gesturing to Kyoutani to get up. “Come on. Time to go.” He said, pulling the door open.

Kyoutani stood, rolling his shoulders. They had gotten way too stiff sitting still for so long. The pair left the waiting room and Iwaizumi led him through the corridors towards the main hall.

Iwaizumi glanced over at Kyoutani. “You nervous?”

He shook his head in response. It had taken him years to reach this point. He wasn’t going to back down now.

The king’s guard chuckled, “Then you’re doing better than I did. I was so nervous I nearly threw up.”

Kyoutani snapped his head to Iwaizumi in disbelief. Everyone knew that Iwaizumi and the king had known each other since they were children, and that Iwaizumi had been hand-picked for his role after passing the exams with flying colours. Even the thought that the usually stoic and unflappable Iwaizumi was capable of feeling nervous was absurd. Kyoutani’s face must have conveyed the shock he was feeling at this admission because Iwaizumi took one look and howled with laughter for a solid minute.

“Anyway, you’ll do fine.” He patted Kyoutani on the back, “If you can keep your tongue in check for more than five minutes.” He tacked on, and before Kyoutani could retort, Iwaizumi pushed open the large doors to the main hall.

* * *

The first thing that hit Kyoutani was the roar of the crowd, almost flinching back from the noise. It seemed like the whole of Aoba Johsai was there, cheering without a care in the world. He straightened up and took a deep breath. It would be a waste to look like a wimp now. The crowd parted effortlessly in front of him and he barely held back a smirk.

He confidently strode down the centre of the hall, along the plush teal carpet that had been rolled out in front of him, towards the ornate throne that stood at the top of a raised platform. Atop it sat Oikawa, head idly resting in one hand, white robes pristine. His silver crown reflected the sunlight that was streaming through the stained-glass windows, casting dancing patterns on the surrounding curtains. He looked, well, regal. His long limbs were draped effortlessly across the throne in a way that, to be honest, looked more than a little uncomfortable. But the king’s expression was nothing less than delighted as the pair of guards made their way towards him.

Iwaizumi took his place at the king’s side and Kyoutani quickly closed the gap between himself and the bottom of the staircase that led to throne, taking a knee. The crowd hushed as Oikawa stood, addressing the hall.

“Today is a joyous day.” Oikawa’s voice was clear as it rang through the space. “For it is the day that we swear in Kyoutani Kentarou as the personal guard to my cousin, the Crown Prince, Yahaba Shigeru.” He gestured to his left, where the aforementioned prince stood. His caramel hair styled perfectly; teal robes effortlessly draped over his body. Kyoutani had of course heard about how handsome the crown prince was, half the kingdom was enamoured with him and the other half wanted to be him. But from the sparse glimpses Kyoutani had seen of the man over the years, he had never fully understood what everyone meant. Now, kneeling in front of him, Kyoutani knew exactly what the fuss was about.

He hated it.

It wasn’t like Kyoutani disliked his new job. Far from it. He'd been ecstatic when he had heard the news that he had passed the selection. But his decision to apply for the position of the crown prince’s royal guard wasn’t out of a place of patriotism or love for the man. Absolutely not. He despised the royals with a passion. Influence without strength: That was precisely what both Oikawa and Yahaba were. Sure, they were pretty, but the only power they had was their blood. After all, that was why he was there. If they were truly strong, they wouldn’t need guards at their beck and call every hour of the day.

But the whole kingdom knew that only the strongest made it into the royal guard, so that was exactly where Kyoutani wanted to be. That’s what stopped himself from scowling as the king continued his speech. Something flowery about the beauty of the kingdom, or honour, or some other bullshit.

His attention was eventually caught again when his name fell from the king’s lips.

“Do you, Kyoutani Kentarou, swear to protect Crown Prince Yahaba Shigeru until you are no longer fit to serve?”

He bit back the sarcastic _Of Course_ on the tip of his tongue. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And do you swear that no harm will come to him under your watch?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He hated formality with a passion.

Oikawa’s face darkened for a moment, growing stern, “Will you submit yourself to the laws of our land should you fail in your duties?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And with that Oikawa was back to his usual chipper self, clapping his hands together, “Perfect! Crown Prince Yahaba Shigeru, will you step forward?” The king stepped aside, allowing Yahaba to take the centre of the dais. His deeper voice lacked the same melodious tone of the king’s, but it was clear nonetheless.

“I, Crown Prince of Aoba Johsai, Yahaba Shigeru, swear you, Kyoutani Kentarou, into my employ as my guardian and protector. I have judged your skills and have deemed them worthy.” He grinned down at Kyoutani, a sly sparkle in his eyes, “So, do we have a deal, Mad Dog?”

That little- Kyoutani barely suppressed a snarl at the moniker. How dare he call him that? Especially now of all times. The name had found him during a particularly vicious bout of training and had stuck to him like glue. He despised it. “Yes, Your Majesty. I shall devote myself to you as your guardian and protector.” He nearly gagged at the flowery language.

Yahaba nodded at his words and stepped aside. Oikawa returned to centre stage, “Iwaizumi.” He called. The guard in question stepped forward from his place to Oikawa’s right, a sword in his hands. He approached Kyoutani and kneeled in front of him, presenting the blade.

“Stand, Kyoutani Kentarou, and take this sword. May it be ever at our service.” Kyoutani could have sworn Oikawa had winked at him, that damn pompous bastard. But nonetheless he stood, taking the sword from Iwaizumi.

Cheers erupted from the crowd, people screaming and crying. Hats were thrown into the air, and Kyoutani could have sworn a small child had been launched along with them by its parents. He climbed the steps and immediately took his place behind the prince, relieved that the attention was finally off him.

“And now,” Oikawa was grinning from ear to ear, “we celebrate!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Let's get this show on the road
> 
> I'm super hyped to finally get this story out of where it's been sitting on my laptop for weeks. The whole thing's already written up so updates should be pretty frequent. 
> 
> I know each chapter is kinda short but there's gonna be a fair few of them so it evens out in the end, and it flowed better this way.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	2. The Afterparty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now sworn into his new job, Kyoutani began his first mission: Survive the afterparty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Just wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone that's read this so far. It means a lot.

The ensuing party carried well on into the night, with everyone from the kingdom, nobles and common folk alike, coming up to congratulate him on his new job. Kindaichi from the barracks had even managed to spare a minute from his patrol to clap Kyoutani on the shoulder and wish him luck. He wasn’t exactly someone Kyoutani considered a friend, but he wasn’t on his ‘punch on sight’ list so that was good enough.

As the party went on, waitstaff disappeared and reappeared from the kitchens, replenishing the food and drinks on the tables lining the walls from a seemingly endless pantry. Dances were had, songs were sung, gossip blew through the hall like a storm. And through it all Kyoutani stood and watched as the townsfolk gradually got more and more intoxicated, the party somehow continuing to get rowdier as it went.

He hated every second of it.

The royals on the other hand were seemingly having the time of their lives, dancing and flirting to their hearts content. Even Iwaizumi, usually almost as sullen as Kyoutani himself, had a small smile as he watched the king entertain a small gaggle of noblewomen, each fawning over him, desperately vying for his attention. He could heal their squeals of “King Oikawa!” from the other side of the hall. Not even the upbeat music, playing steadily from the string quartet in the corner of the hall, could drown out their obnoxious screeches.

“You know this party is for you. Kind of.” Iwaizumi said jokingly.

“I hate parties.” Kyoutani responded, and nearly jumped as Iwaizumi burst out laughing.

He slapped Kyoutani on the shoulder, “Well get used to them. Oikawa sure does love to throw them. Consider yourself lucky you missed Yahaba’s birthday.”

With that the conversation dropped, and Kyoutani was forced to pay attention once again to the crowd, quickly finding Yahaba in amongst his own small gaggle of noblewomen. One of them coyly placed her hand on the prince’s shoulder and batted her eyelashes at him. Yahaba turned to her and smiled brightly, motioning for one of the waitstaff to bring her another drink. Another curtseyed daintily in front of him, chest bowed a little too far forward to be anything other than a flirtatious gesture, what with the absurdly low neckline of her dress.

Kyoutani held back a retch. Watching them dote on him like that was disgusting.

Luckily, the hours passed without any significant incidents. People started to eventually filter out with a relative lack of fanfare. Those who were sober enough to keep their wits about them staggering home of their own volition, those who weren’t were escorted off the premises by guards.

That was a part of his old job that Kyoutani certainly didn’t miss. It was about a fifty/fifty chance that some drunk asshole would try and pick a fight with him just to prove themself against a member of the ‘esteemed guard’. And of the half that didn’t, most of them got so intoxicated that they would pass out midway through town. Kyoutani had been forced to carry them to the nearest inn and pay for a room for the night.

He took a second to look at the handful of guards still in the hall with a kind of bitter satisfaction that can only come from seeing someone in a far worse position than you. He smirked to himself. Iwaizumi chuckled next to him, likely feeling the same kind of twisted pride as the pair watched a fresh-faced guard attempt to wrangle a particularly rowdy nobleman out of the hall.

At that moment, Yahaba and Oikawa made their way back up the stairs, arms slung over each other, giggling like school children. They reached their guards and separated, faces bright and somehow still sober despite the revelry around them. Oikawa must have noticed Kyoutani’s confusion because he smirked at him and teasingly flicked his nose.

“It would be so very unbecoming of a member of royalty to lose their composure at an event such as this, don’t you think, Mad Dog?”

Kyoutani stepped back, barely holding in a growl. He shrugged, not feeling like responding to what was probably a rhetorical question. He didn’t miss the small frown that appeared on Yahaba’s face at his response, but he didn’t say anything so Kyoutani couldn’t bring himself to care.

“Well, I think Iwa and I are going to retire for the night.” Oikawa had, at this point, slung his arm over Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “Shigeru, I think you should get to know your new guard some. You’re going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on after all.” He winked at the pair and with that he was gone, dragging Iwaizumi behind him.

“You’ll get used to him.” Yahaba joked, “He’s right though. I’m glad to have you here.” When Kyoutani neglected to respond, he continued, “I’m sure you got the grand tour when you first swore into the guard, but you wouldn’t have been allowed into my quarters. Allow me to give you the tour.”

Kyoutani just gestured for Yahaba to lead the way. The prince looked annoyed, likely from Kyoutani’s continued silence, but made to move regardless.

* * *

The following tour was tense. Even Kyoutani could tell that much. Yahaba led him through the west wing of the castle, pointing out room after room. Some were guests’ quarters, some servants’ quarters, some entertained guests. Kyoutani took the information in but barely responded. He nodded at the appropriate moments, or if Yahaba looked at him particularly sharply, gave a grunt of affirmation. Kyoutani knew Yahaba was likely irritated with him for his attitude, but it wasn’t like he could be convinced to change it. So he stayed silent.

As they rounded yet another corner, Yahaba stopped in his tracks, whirling around to face Kyoutani, “Are you going to be like this the whole time?” His tone was clipped, very clearly pissed off.

Kyoutani just shrugged, smirking inwardly at how quickly he’d gotten the pretty boy mad at him.

“How am I supposed to have any sort of conversation with you?” the prince ran a hand through his hair.

Now, Kyoutani wasn’t exactly in the habit of pissing off the nobility, but he wasn’t going to take that lying down, “That’s not my job.” He replied.

“What?” Yahaba was practically seething at this point.

“You couldn’t have hired me not knowing what I’m like.” Kyoutani snarled, “I’m your guard. My job’s to make sure you don’t die. I’m not here to dance for you or whatever.” In that moment he was glad the two of them were alone, had Kyoutani said any of that around anyone else his head would be on a pike before he could say _Fuck_. Even without witnesses, he was toeing a line with his tone and he knew it. He just hoped the prince wasn’t as much of an asshole as he looked and would keep his mouth shut.

Yahaba took a deep breath and Kyoutani prepared for some sort of angry tirade, but the prince paused for a moment, then exhaled, defeated. Kyoutani smirked at his victory.

“I guess. That works. You better be really good at making sure I don’t die then.” With that he turned and continued the tour, though he was certainly much less enthusiastic than before.

* * *

They finally made their way to an ornate wooden door, carved with the image of intricate vines growing up the sides. Outside were two guards, Kindaichi, and another man that Kyoutani didn’t know personally. But he could at least pinpoint his name as Watari, another guard that had joined at roughly the same time as him. Both waved at the approaching pair. Yahaba wave back cheerfully. Kyoutani did not.

“This is me. During the night, Kindaichi and Watari are stationed here, so you can sleep.” He gestured to a smaller door a little way behind them, “That’s yours.”

The prince spun back around and quickly retired to his room, practically slamming the door behind him. How childish. Kindaichi and Watari started laughing the second the door closed.

“Dude,” Kindaichi leant on Watari’s shoulder for support, “Did you manage to piss him off already?”

“We all figured you would at least wait until tomorrow.” Watari said, barely holding his own weight, let alone that of the taller man on his shoulder. “You probably lost so many people a lot of money.”

So they had bet on him. Assholes. The lot of them. “Fuck off.” Kyoutani stalked back to his new quarters, ignoring the teasing calls of _Good night Mad Dog_ from behind him.

The room was small, the furniture nothing fancy. The door creaked and the air was stale from disuse. It was the nicest place Kyoutani had ever lived. On the table was an itinerary for the next week and Kyoutani looked over it briefly before collapsing onto his bed, barely lasting a minute before sinking into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: How quickly can I make these two assholes fight?
> 
> Their dynamic is really fun to write, especially with all the snark. Also Kindaichi is best boy.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	3. Duties of a Crown Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyoutani had thought he'd known exactly what he signed up for when he applied for this job. Apparently he'd misjudged.

As the next day broke, a new routine began for Kyoutani. Every morning he would wake up with the first light of day, though that in itself was nothing new, and he would spend the mornings following Yahaba around as he performed his duties as crown prince. Kyoutani had scoffed at the idea of royals having any duty that wasn’t ‘be doted upon’ but he quickly learnt that it wasn’t quite that bad.

It was way worse.

Almost every morning saw him standing in some hosting room as Yahaba schmoozed with various nobles, listening to their dull stories and court drama. They would take the seats by the window, sipping tea and snacking on fresh cakes from the kitchen, and the noble would rattle off tale after tale.

Did you hear what Lord Whatever said at the last gala?

Did you hear that Lady Nobody has finally taken a suitor?

Did you hear that Sir Unimportant was caught with one of his servants?

It all meant absolutely nothing to Kyoutani.

But Yahaba took it all in his stride, responding to each story with the appropriate amount of enthusiasm. He laughed heartily at all the right moments, gasped when it was necessary and even responded with a story of his own on occasion. By the end of every morning, he had every single stuck-up asshole practically falling at his feet. It was clear that Yahaba took to politics like a duck to water. Unfortunately for Kyoutani, he couldn’t swim. So instead, he stood by the door, grating his teeth to himself, and hoping that Yahaba didn’t notice his temper slowly boiling over.

* * *

After their morning of unpleasant company was the part of the day that made Kyoutani want to punch someone the least. Lunch.

Yahaba spent his lunchtimes with Oikawa in the king’s personal dining quarters, the cousins chatting amicably about their mornings while Kyoutani was free to completely ignore his charge and sit with Iwaizumi on the other side of the room. Neither of them were particularly talkative so the hour would pass in relative silence, a much welcome break from the chatter that near constantly surrounded the royals. The food was nice, much nicer than anything he’d eaten before joining the guard. While the perks of Kyoutani’s job were few, he was very grateful for the ones he did get.

On the rare occasion that either of them were feeling exceptionally chatty, Kyoutani and Iwaizumi would swap stories of life in the barracks. As it turned out, Iwaizumi knew both Kindaichi and Watari well. He would tell Kyoutani stories of how Kindaichi would trip over his own feet every time Iwaizumi praised him, or of the one time Watari fell asleep in the rafters of the barracks and Iwaizumi had spent four hours searching for him. How he had gotten up there in the first place was still a mystery. Those lunches were Kyoutani’s favourites, and on those days, he would start his afternoons with slightly less of a scowl on his face.

But much to Kyoutani’s disappointment, the reprieve never lasted. At the end of the hour Oikawa would be dragged back into meeting after meeting, a long-suffering Iwaizumi trailing behind him.

* * *

Yahaba, on the other hand, wasn’t often so occupied. Occasionally, he would have to sit in on a meeting that required a second opinion. Sometimes he would even take Oikawa’s place when the king was busy with other, more pressing matters, but those days were few and far between. Which Kyoutani thought was a shame. As mind-numbingly dull as those meetings could be, all he had to do was stand behind Yahaba for a few hours and try not to look as though he was two seconds from falling on his own sword with boredom. He didn’t have to interact with anyone. His presence was more of a formality than anything else. It was dry, but Kyoutani had quickly decided that the more common afternoon activity was much much worse.

Most days, Yahaba spent the afternoons back in his chambers. Which meant that Kyoutani had to do so as well. The prince would read or write, or simply watch the world from his windows. During this time Kyoutani would busy himself with menial tasks like memorising the upcoming weeks itinerary or making sure his equipment was maintained. At the start, Yahaba offered to teach him chess, but quickly found out that Kyoutani didn’t have the patience for such slow-paced games and was partial to flipping the board when one of his pieces was taken.

Kyoutani was quick to discover that Yahaba was not at all fond of silence, so would fill the space between them with drivel and meaningless conversation. He would speak about his thoughts on the morning’s conversations, his opinions on the castle staff, his hopes for tomorrows lunch. All things Kyoutani couldn’t give less of a shit about. More often than not he managed to endure it in silence but occasionally he just couldn’t hold his tongue. Those infrequent afternoons brought something rare, insults spitting back and forth between the pair until one of them outwitted the other. Kyoutani was loathed to admit it, but it was often Yahaba that dealt the final blow, both of them going quiet and returning to their tasks.

While Kyoutani would usually revel in this stillness, there was still tension between the two of them that left a sour taste in the air and the afternoons would pass awkwardly until dinner, when the pair would eat with the rest of the court in the main dining hall. Fortunately, Kyoutani could tune out as Yahaba busied himself with amicable chatter with whichever member of the court had been lucky enough to snag a seat next to the crown prince.

After this Kyoutani would escort Yahaba to his chambers where Kindaichi and Watari would be waiting to relieve him of his duty for the night. He would then leave for the training halls, sparring with whoever would humour him until he kicked their asses. And once he had vented all his frustrations from the day, he would return to his room and collapse in bed, waiting for the next day to begin.

It was a predictable routine. Several weeks moved along like clockwork and Kyoutani found himself getting used to its rhythm. The relationship between himself and Yahaba was strained. (And that was putting it nicely.) But despite this, Kyoutani could admit that he didn’t hate his job. That he was proud to call himself a royal guard, even if his charge was a royal pain in the ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Holy shit Kyoutani's job sucks
> 
> I just love the idea of Yahaba having to do all of this important stuff with Kyoutani grumbling in the background. Idk something about that is hilarious to me. Also Watari is totally the type to end up napping in weird places.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3
> 
> Edit: fixed some issues with the notes section on the last chapter. Sorry about that, I'm new here :')


	4. The Nuances of Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few months, Kyoutani's new day to day life had finally settled. But does a meeting with an important visitor threaten that balance?

Kyoutani didn’t care for the nuances of politics. In the few months he had now been by the prince’s side, he had made that very clear at every single chance he had, either deliberately ignoring everything going on, or by snapping at whoever was trying to talk to him until they shut up. It was just so dull. Politics, in his opinion, were for the spoilt, weak, pompous nobility who grew up with the most silver of spoons. And everyone in the castle who had ever interacted with him knew it loud and clear.

So why he had to be here for this ‘crucial political negotiation’ was completely beyond him. He had heard something from Oikawa about tensions being high and the chance of violence breaking out, but everything that came out of that man’s mouth pissed Kyoutani off so much he had forced himself to tune him out, lest he be immediately executed for punching Aoba Johsai’s beloved king in his stupid smug face.

As it was, the current situation made him once again want to do just that. He was stood in the ‘important hosting room’, a large room with intricate silver detailing on the teal walls and a plush white carpet. A large table bisected the room with a dozen ornate seats on either side, with one larger throne-like chair in the centre of each row.

Kyoutani stood behind Yahaba, who sat opposite some noble from the visiting kingdom, Karasuno. Their king, a kind looking man named Sugawara, sat opposite Oikawa, and the two of them bantered back and forth while the noble and Yahaba made polite, if strained, conversation. The man had jet black hair, and looked nothing like Sugawara, but was in fact, according to the parts of the conversation Kyoutani could be bothered to tune in to, the crown prince of Karasuno, adopted into the family as Sugawara had no blood relatives to pass the crown to. His own personal guard stood behind him, a short redheaded man who apparently had no talent for standing still. He rocked back and forth, bounced in place, shuffled from side to side.

The constant movement was driving Kyoutani up the wall.

He started to tap his foot restlessly. The redhead seemed completely ignorant to Kyoutani’s increasing irritation and continued to bounce all over the hall, making conversation with the other Karasuno guards, a stern man with a crop of dark hair who stood steadfast behind his king, and two strong looking men, one with a shaved head and the other with a wild black hairstyle with a shock of blond at the front. The redhead’s voice was louder than it should be, constantly drowning out the discussions at the table. Kyoutani could feel the blood pulse at his temples, a headache slowly creeping up on him and he huffed to himself, silently hoping that this damned discussion would be over soon.

What Kyoutani hadn’t noticed was his own charge, who had stopped his conversation with Kageyama, Karasuno’s crown prince, to look back at his guard with rising frustration. He knew Kyoutani hated these discussions, but he also figured Kyoutani could handle it. Apparently, he had misjudged. Yahaba leant over to Oikawa to suggest a break, and it was then that Oikawa noticed the simmering tension radiating from the spitfire guard.

Kyoutani was three, no two seconds away from pummelling that damn guard. He was now leaning over his charge’s chair and talking animatedly about sightseeing through Aoba Johsai after the meeting. He was holding up the meeting himself for fuck’s sake. The sooner he just shut up and stood still, the sooner the meeting would be over and the sooner he could escape to the training hall and blow off this steam.

A voice cut through Kyoutani’s train of thought: “Kyoutani would you-”

“Shut up!” He snapped at the source of the voice and immediately all discussion in the room disappeared. As the red fog slowly dissipated from his vision, he saw everyone staring at him in shock and horror. In front of him was Oikawa, face tight. But it was Yahaba’s expression that caught him off-guard. The prince was livid. Madder than Kyoutani had ever seen him.

His breath left his lungs as he felt himself slam against the wall behind him, Yahaba’s face inches from his own, hands twisted in Kyoutani’s shirt.

He looked murderous.

“How… DARE YOU!” He yelled, “How dare you speak to your king like that!”

It was then that Kyoutani pieced together what had happened. Oikawa had been the one to speak to him. And Kyoutani had spoken out against his king. In the middle of an incredibly important political discussion. And Yahaba…

Yahaba was still shouting at him, “I know you hate these meetings but that is not an excuse to behave this way!” He shoved at Kyoutani, “You know how important this is to us." He could barely breathe, the prince's face inches from his own, "If you screw this up, I won’t forgive you!”

There was a fire in his eyes that the guard had never seen before, arms strong as they pressed him into the wall. Kyoutani tried to push against him but Yahaba wouldn’t relent, eyes piercing into his soul, furious and beautiful. Wait beautiful? Kyoutani shook his head, immediately shoving that thought out of his mind.

“Apologise.” Yahaba’s voice was stern, “Now!” he released Kyoutani and pushed his head down, forcing him to bow low in front of his king.

“I apologise for my insubordination, Your Majesty, and will accept any punishment you see fit to dole out.” Kyoutani desperately hoped he sounded sincere, even he knew how much he’d just fucked up. He didn’t dare to look up until Oikawa spoke.

“You are forgiven, Kyoutani.” The king’s voice was soft and genuine, unlike the forced cheer he used in formal settings, and Kyoutani slowly raised his head, “I was about to suggest we all take a quick break for some lunch and reconvene in an hour’s time. Our kitchen staff will provide only the finest for our esteemed guests.” With that he turned back to King Sugawara, “How does that sound Your Majesty?”

“That sounds perfectly acceptable and incredibly kind.” The grey-haired man responded, motioning for his fellow court members to stand. The Karasuno visitors bowed before leaving the hall. As soon as the last guest had left, Yahaba whirled on Kyoutani again, fury still evident in his eyes. Kyoutani begrudgingly admitted to himself that he was impressed. He’d never expected this much backbone from any royal, let alone Yahaba. But that thought was quickly replaced as the prince began to shout again.

“You are an embarrassment! I cannot believe you would-”

“Enough Shigeru.” Oikawa interrupted the prince’s rant with a hand on his shoulder. “Kyoutani has apologised. And I _hope_ that means we will not be receiving another of these outbursts in the latter half of this meeting.” Only a complete idiot would have missed the thinly veiled threat in the king’s voice.

He bowed once more, “I apologise once again Your Majesty. I am most grateful for your mercy.” The formal words felt foreign on his tongue, but he forced them out anyway. He did, after all, want to keep both his job and his life.

He was startled out of his bow by Oikawa’s musical laugh, “Well done Shigeru, it seems you’ve finally tamed the infamous Mad Dog.”

Kyoutani felt his face flare red. “Like hell he has!” Kyoutani spluttered as the two royals laughed at him. He turned, fully intending on storming out of the room before he stopped. He couldn’t leave Yahaba’s side after all.

The prince in question sighed, almost fondly, before joining Kyoutani at the door. “Come on then, let’s get some air.”

* * *

The castle grounds were bustling as servants flitted about, preparing lunch for the Karasuno nobility. The pair wandered through the east wing in silence until they reached one of the many small courtyards. Yahaba made a beeline for one of the benches and sat, motioning for Kyoutani to join him.

As Kyoutani accepted the offer and sat down, their silence was broken, unsurprisingly, by Yahaba.

“So,” he began carefully, “Want to tell me what that was all about?”

 _No_ was Kyoutani’s first thought. He didn’t want to tell Yahaba anything. A moment passed as he looked away. But the prince was persistent.

He exhaled, his expression one of irritation, “Look, if you’re going to continue being my guard, I need to know this shit.”

Was that the first time Kyoutani had ever heard him swear? He pondered this for a moment before he realised the prince was still talking,

“-can’t have a repeat of this so just…” He punched Kyoutani in the arm, “Oi, are you even listening to me?”

“That guard.” He admitted reluctantly, “He kept moving about. He was pissing me off.”

Kyoutani expected an admonishment, for Yahaba to tell him to just suck it up and deal with it. What he wasn’t expecting was for the prince to double over in laughter.

“I know right!” He wiped a tear from his face, “Man, I’ve never seen anyone so hyperactive. How Prince Kageyama puts up with him all day is beyond me.”

Kyoutani took a moment to observe the prince. He was howling with laughter, the starts of tears in the corners of his eyes. He’d never seen Yahaba so open around him. Maybe this was what he was like around Oikawa. Maybe now that Yahaba had snapped in front of him, he’d stopped hiding that part of himself.

Kyoutani realised, with a breath that felt like a blow to the stomach, that he wanted to see more of this side of Yahaba. This slightly petty, funny, open side of him that wasn’t ‘Prince Yahaba Shigeru’ but just ‘Yahaba Shigeru’.

“Shit are you _smiling_?” Yahaba’s voice pulled Kyoutani back to the moment, where the prince was looking at him with fascination.

He quickly schooled his features back into his default scowl, “No.” His voice came out much more petulant than he wanted, and he cursed himself internally as the prince snickered at him.

Maybe, Kyoutani thought to himself, just maybe, Yahaba wasn’t totally obnoxious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: How many parallels can I make in one chapter?
> 
> This was the first scene I wrote when I was plotting out this fic. I'm super happy with how it turned out.  
> Also- hints at Kyoutani's feelings? Maybe? Who knows. (I know.)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3
> 
> Edit: Finally settled on chapter titles that I like. Only took me several days. Whoops :')


	5. A Different Sort of Court

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now no longer enemies, Kyoutani and Yahaba settled on a tentative friendship. Now if only Kyoutani could figure out his exact feelings for the prince that would be great.

After that day, their relationship changed. Yahaba had opened up towards Kyoutani, his quick wit and sharp tongue providing endless entertainment. The guard had learnt that his charge was wickedly observant and used that talent in less than proper ways when dealing with members of the nobility he would rather avoid. Kyoutani, though he was loathed to admit it, had also changed slightly. He spoke more, responding to Yahaba’s sharp words with cutting language of his own mor often. Their back and forth changed from genuine spite to a more amicable banter. Kyoutani also found himself smiling. Not often, but on occasion, the prince would be able to pull a genuine grin from him. Though Yahaba would almost always immediately gloat about it, causing the guard to elbow him or punch him in the arm.

That was something else that had changed. Any physical distance between them had evaporated overnight. Now, neither of them were opposed to roughhousing with the other (away from the prying eyes of the rest of the castle of course) and any errant punch would be returned in kind. It was a welcome change to Kyoutani. In hindsight, he hated how he had to treat Yahaba before, as if the man were made of glass instead of solid and sturdy muscle and bone. And it seemed that the prince felt the same, never hesitating to throw the first punch if he felt it was necessary.

All in all, the day of the Karasuno visit had been a good one. Oikawa had sealed a trade deal with King Sugawara that he had gloated about for days. Yahaba had gained the respect of his guard, and Kyoutani had gained- Well, he hesitated to say it, but a friend in the prince. Their time spent together was void of any of the malice that bubbled under the surface of all their previous interactions. It was, though Kyoutani would deny it if you asked him to his face, really nice. As it turned out, not hating the person you were hired to spent literally every moment with, actually made the days more enjoyable.

* * *

It was a bright late summer day that found the pair, as was usual for their afternoons, in Yahaba’s chambers on the third floor of the west wing of the castle. Kyoutani stood by the window, observing the courtyard where Kindaichi was escorting a new guard, likely showing him around the premises. He vaguely remembered someone mentioning his name in passing… Kunimi? Something like that. Yahaba was rifling through his bookshelf, attempting to find a way to occupy himself for the afternoon. If Kyoutani had been paying attention, he would have noticed Yahaba shelf the book he was holding with a sigh. He would have noticed how Yahaba had padded over towards him. But the thing that caught his attention was the petulant sigh the prince made directly into his ear, causing him to startle and flinch back.

He glared as Yahaba laughed at him, “The fuck do you want?”

There was a sly glint in his eye, “Why don’t you ever tell me anything about yourself?”

Kyoutani huffed. He did _not_ want to talk about his past with Yahaba. Even if the prince had proved he wasn’t just some whiny spoilt brat, that didn’t give him the right to pry into his life like that.

“Ok ok.” He placated, “Wrong question. How about this: Why did you join the guard?”

Now that was an easier question to answer. “To be better than Iwaizumi.” Kyoutani sat back in one of the plush chairs.

“Iwaizumi? Why him?” Yahaba continued to prod at him, taking a seat on the other chair, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

“He’s the strongest guy I know. I want to be stronger.” Kyoutani hoped that was enough of an answer to satisfy the curious prince and, watching Yahaba sit back in his chair, hands now on his lap, it seemed it had been. A moment of reasonably comfortable silence passed between them. Kyoutani’s mind wandered back to his first few years of training in the guard. At every opportunity he had begged the older captain to spar with him, challenging him to match after match after match. He tried every weapon in their armoury, and still Iwaizumi stayed one step ahead of him. It was obvious he had deserved it more than anyone when he had finally earned the title of personal guard to the king. As Oikawa passed through Kyoutani’s thoughts, his nose wrinkled, and he frowned. Yahaba, observant bastard that he was, noticed immediately.

“What’s that look for?” he asked, posture returning to that of curiosity.

“Don’t get why he lets that pompous king boss him around so much.” Kyoutani growled, it just made no sense. Iwaizumi was stronger than Oikawa in every sense of the word.

Yahaba laughed, loud and unrestrained. He stood from the chair and meandered across the room, “Oh I’m sure it’s the other way around behind closed doors, don’t you worry.” His voice was coy, as if he knew some dark secret that Kyoutani had missed.

“Huh?”

“You mean you haven’t noticed?” He teased, “They’re all over each other.” Yahaba flopped down onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling, “Oh the inherent eroticism of a royal and their personal guard…” he trailed off wistfully.

Kyoutani snapped his head up. “Was that your dumbass way of getting me to ask to court you?” At this point even he couldn’t tell if he was joking.

“And what if it was?”

Oh.

It wasn’t as if Kyoutani _hadn’t_ thought about it once or twice. Ever since that council meeting, there had been moments, not many, but there had been moments where Yahaba’s hair had caught the light in a very pretty manner, or he’d notice something unflattering about a fellow member of the court and point it out to Kyoutani with hushed tones that had them both trying to hold in their laughter, or he’d get caught up in some passionate speech and would look so determined and beautiful and-

“Sure.” Oh.

Kyoutani’s voice had left his mouth almost against his will. He froze, not daring to look at the prince. He would probably just laugh everything off as a joke and they would go back to how they had been. Nothing had to change.

The sound of shifting fabric caught his attention and, on instinct, he looked up to its source. Yahaba had sat up and was staring at Kyoutani with a completely unreadable expression. The prince slipped off his bed and made his way towards the now internally panicking guard. What was he going to do? Would he slap Kyoutani for even suggesting anything? Would he fire him? Would he be forced to leave the guard?

Yahaba crossed his room to Kyoutani in deliberate strides, closing the already small distance between them quickly. Kyoutani looked away, not wanting to look the prince in the eyes. Yahaba stopped just inches from Kyoutani. He heard the prince exhale softly. Then there was a hand on the side of his face, forcing him to turn his head and-

Lips met his, soft delicate lips pushing at his in a way that was anything but. The kiss was forceful and passionate, and Kyoutani had barely managed to get his brain to catch up to what was going on when Yahaba pulled back, a shit-eating grin on his face. Kyoutani huffed and dragged the prince back towards him, crashing their mouths together once more. Where the first kiss had been aggressive, this one was much softer. Yahaba darted his tongue out across the seam of Kyoutani’s lips and Kyoutani answered by tangling his tongue with the prince’s. Kyoutani slowly dragged his teeth along the other’s plush bottom lip. The ensuing noise that was pulled out of Yahaba’s throat was like music to Kyoutani’s ears.

Eventually the two parted, both kiss-bitten and panting. Yahaba was smirking, and Kyoutani couldn’t hide the small smile that flickered in the corner of his mouth.

“Well, my dear Kentarou,” Kyoutani glared at him for the use of his first name, “I would definitely not be opposed to doing that again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Wow they actually like each other who would have thought
> 
> We're finally into part 2 now my friends! Also I've p much never written kissing and the like before so... this was a fun way to try that out.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	6. Midwinter Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Midwinter Ball was finally approaching. Amidst all the preparation, Kyoutani had another thing to consider, how his relationship with Yahaba seemed to be evolving at a rapid pace.

Sure enough, the two did, in fact, kiss again. Many many times. Over the next few months, the pair became even more inseparable than they had been before, to the point that the entire castle staff had noticed. Kyoutani feigned ignorance, tuning out the whispers of “Did you see how close Prince Yahaba and the Mad Dog have been lately?” and “It’s nice to know someone finally got that guard under control”.

Inwardly, he smirked. If only they knew just how close the pair had been getting. Though Kyoutani did often find himself wondering just what would happen if people did find out. Every time his thoughts went down that road, he cringed to himself. It probably wouldn’t end well, despite Yahaba’s placations that he probably wouldn’t be executed for it. Emphasis on the probably.

Oikawa had noticed immediately, though Kyoutani suspected Yahaba had outright told the king himself. The smirks he gave them were too all-knowing. He would wink at the pair at almost every opportunity and whatever slight reservations he had about showing affection to his own guard had disappeared.

Lunchtimes between the two pairs became even more of a sacred time now that everyone was less reserved around each other. It was a common occurrence for Oikawa to stop mid conversation with Yahaba, plant a kiss on Iwaizumi’s cheek, and turn back as if it had never happened. In turn Yahaba would occasionally lean against Kyoutani while they ate, Kyoutani indulging him for a moment, before shucking the prince off before his face started to flush. Iwaizumi didn’t change much, but Kyoutani did notice the guard smiling more, tensing less when the king wound an arm over his shoulders. If Oikawa hadn’t been the most annoying man on the planet, Kyoutani would have almost found them cute.

But through it all some things never changed. They kept up their arguing and banter from before. It felt comfortable, though neither were about to admit just how much they liked it. Cutting words would still fly between them until one of them yielded, though the yielding in question more often than not came in the form of a make out session. But on occasion, quiet would settle on the castle and the banter would stop, allowing the two of them a moment to breathe and simply appreciate each other’s company. Though Kyoutani would never say so out loud, it was those moments, those rare, soft moments, that he cherished the most.

* * *

Winter slowly crept over Aoba Johsai and with it came the event of the year: The Midwinter Ball. Oikawa had been fussing over the plans for the celebration for months, changing his mind on a dime about anything and everything. On one particularly bad day a week before the event, the king had sprinted through the castle, yelling about the colour scheme of the tableware. Kyoutani had given Yahaba an incredulous look and Yahaba had responded with a raised eyebrow and a “He’s a perfectionist. Iwaizumi will catch him before he runs himself into the ground.”

Sure enough, the next day saw the king much more relaxed. And if he hung off his guard’s shoulders a little more than he normally would, Kyoutani sure as fuck wasn’t going to say anything about it.

The main hall was transformed, the usual white, silver, and teal drapery switched out for a warmer set of red, gold, and green. Yahaba had been dragged into a dozen wardrobe fittings and about three dozen taste tests for the menu. Kyoutani had refused outright to be a part of the former, but reluctantly joined in with the latter, though that reluctance quickly faded as he tried the chicken for the first time.

Invites were sent out, musicians were hired. The week passed in a flurry of activity, servants and waitstaff bustling through the castle with the single-minded focus that could only come from their king’s infectious passion for the holiday.

Soon enough the day was finally upon them. To nobody’s surprise Oikawa had been absolutely insufferable throughout the morning. During their lunch together, Iwaizumi had to physically sit the king down and force him to eat as he whined on and on, his voice a grating cry as he begged Iwaizumi to allow him one last check. To which the guard refused every time.

Despite Oikawa’s best efforts to exhaust himself before the festivities had even began, the second that guests started to filter into the castle, the king had transformed. Gone was his excessive worry, replaced with the confident smirk Kyoutani had come to associate with Oikawa’s ‘public face’.

* * *

Kyoutani stood outside Yahaba’s room, tapping his foot idly against the carpet. The prince had quickly excused himself to his room to change the moment he had heard that the castle doors had opened. But Kyoutani had been standing outside his quarters for at least half an hour and his patience was starting to wear thin.

“Oi Yahaba!” Kyoutani shouted, banging on the door, “Hurry up, would you?”

His only response was a muffled, “Shut the fuck up Kyoutani, I’m almost done!”

“If you don’t hurry the hell up I swear to-” The door swung open and any threat Kyoutani would have made died on his tongue.

Yahaba looked… stunning. As Yahaba closed and locked the door behind him, the only thing Kyoutani could think was _Fuck, he’s hot_. It took all of his control, and then some, to stop himself from shoving Yahaba right back through his door and onto his bed, where he could kiss the prince senseless. He just looked too damn inviting. His hair had been styled to perfection, caramel bangs framing his face beautifully. Kyoutani’s fingers itched at his sides as they remembered its soft texture. His waistcoat, trousers, and jacket were a deep forest green colour, accented with a gold trim that made his eyes shine. They fit him perfectly, hugging each and every muscle. Kyoutani felt his mouth go dry as his gaze swept over the prince, taking in every last detail.

“I bet you think I look pretty good in these huh?” Yahaba’s voice cut through Kyoutani’s thoughts. Ah. He’d been caught staring. He flushed bright red and grabbed Yahaba’s hand, pulling the prince behind him as he made his way to the main hall, violently shoving every single previous thought of the prince into a corner of his mind labelled _Not now_. Yahaba stopped in his tracks, pulling Kyoutani flush against him. His eyes were hooded, a small smirk on his lips. “But I think you’d rather see me out of them.” The prince teased, voice dropping dangerously low.

Kyoutani felt all the blood that previously occupied his face rush south, “Shut the fuck up!” he snarled, “We’re gonna be fucking late.” Ignoring Yahaba’s cackling, Kyoutani pressed onwards, dragging the tease of a prince behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Kyoutani thinks Yahaba is hot and Yahaba is well aware
> 
> Hello all! I just wanted to put out another quick thank you to everyone who's read this fic. It means a lot.  
> This chapter was tough to write but I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out. Tune in next time for whatever shenanigans ensue at the Ball.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	7. Midwinter Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the party in full swing, Kyoutani was once again faced with his nemesis: large crowds of loud idiots.

Thankfully, the party was only just starting to get into its full swing as Kyoutani and Yahaba approached the last corner to the main hall. It was then that he realised he was still essentially holding hands with the prince. He quickly snatched his hand back, moving to stand behind Yahaba, to let the prince lead the way. But before he could, hands gripped his face, pulling him in for a quick but searing kiss.

“One for the road.” Yahaba smirked, and with that, the prince was gone, immediately weaving his way into the crowd to greet everyone.

* * *

Kyoutani was quick to follow, immediately spotting Iwaizumi at his station by the throne. He joined the other guard, taking up his own position watching over the crowd. He instantly spotted Oikawa, or at least, the crowd of noblewomen surrounding him. The king was in his element, dancing an intricate waltz between guests, smiling, and laughing with them all. Kyoutani scanned the faces in the crowd, surprised to see the King of Karasuno amongst the guests, laughing with Oikawa. Upon further inspection, the whole of the Karasuno court was in attendance, adorned in similar dark robes, making them stand out even more against the bright colours of the Aoba Johsai court.

He nudged Iwaizumi, “Didn’t know Karasuno would be here.”

The guard chuckled, “Yeah, Oikawa only told me about it last night.” They watched as, somehow, the redheaded Karasuno guard from before had managed to drag Kindaichi from his station. The poor guard looked lost as the other man jumped around him, yelling excitedly. “Apparently he still wants to strengthen ties with Karasuno. You know, after the trade deal and all.”

Kyoutani nodded in acknowledgement and went back to inspecting the crowd, eyes quickly finding Yahaba amongst a gaggle of nobility. He was talking quietly with a woman in Karasuno garb, a short blonde girl who was shifting from foot to foot, clearly nervous. Kyoutani frowned as he saw Yahaba put his hand on the girl’s shoulder.

A loud shout from the other side of the hall had Kyoutani reaching for his sword as he took a step towards the source of the noise, expecting a fight. But Iwaizumi’s hand on his chest made him stop and look back at him. The captain had a small smile on his face and Kyoutani, confused, turned back to the hall only to finally see the source of the commotion. The redhead guard from Karasuno had somehow managed to upturn an entire vat of soup onto himself and Prince Kageyama was fuming, yelling insult after insult at him.

King Sugawara was quick to step in, ushering the soup-covered guard out of the hall towards the washroom, apologising profusely for the interruption. With their source of entertainment gone, the crowd was quick to return to whatever conversations they were having before, pairs returning to their dances.

When Kyoutani turned back, trying to find Yahaba, his heart leapt to his throat when he failed to find the prince amongst the crowd. His place amongst the group of nobles was empty, and so was the place of that small Karasuno girl. A pit started to form in his stomach. Several scenarios passed through his mind. Yahaba and the girl had both needed a washroom break. The girl had asked for a tour of the castle. Someone had kidnapped them both. They had gone to make out somewhere-

That last thought made Kyoutani freeze. He wasn’t exactly in the business of feeling insecure, but the thought of Yahaba with his tongue down the girl’s throat caused a bubble of anger to burst in his chest. He had to find Yahaba. Now.

* * *

He stalked through the corridors, ignoring the calls of _Happy Midwinter_ sent his way by various guests and staff. He turned passed room after room, the prince nowhere in sight. He could feel his breath starting to quicken and he forced himself to stay calm. Yahaba was alright. He had to be. He broke out into a run, twisting through the castle with a renewed energy.

The sound of laughter made him stop in his tracks. He knew that laugh. Kyoutani turned one final corner and burst through the doors, sword in hand. Yahaba and the girl shrieked from their seats by the window. Kyoutani took a moment to look around the hosting room, and, when he was satisfied the room was empty, stowed his sword and stalked over to Yahaba.

“Where have you been?” He bit back the curse on the tip of his tongue, glancing over to where the girl was still cowering in her seat. He glared at her, and she yelped, curling into herself even more.

Yahaba stood, eyes now level with Kyoutani’s. His gaze was steadfast. “Lady Yachi was feeling overwhelmed, so I offered to take her somewhere quieter while she calmed down.” He looked Kyoutani up and down, “Is that a problem?” The prince folded his arms and stood back on his heels.

“Yes.” Kyoutani snapped. “You should have told me.” He stepped forward towards Yahaba, noses almost touching.

But the prince refused to back down. “I was gone for two minutes Kyoutani.” He jabbed at Kyoutani’s chest, “Nothing could have happened to me in two minutes.”

Kyoutani felt a burst of irritation. “Bullshit.” He heard the gasp from the girl but ignored her. “It’s my job to watch you. To keep you safe.”

Yahaba smirked, a teasing glint in his eyes, “What? Were you worried about me?”

“Of course I was fucking worried about you!” Kyoutani snapped. How dare Yahaba even think for a second that he wouldn’t be worried. He grabbed Yahaba by the shoulders, “You could have been kidnapped. You could have been killed!” Yahaba pushed Kyoutani’s hands off, but he wasn’t done talking. “But no. Instead, I find you here. Cozied up with her!” Yachi flinched as Kyoutani pointed a finger at her and he revelled briefly in the look of fear on her face.

Yahaba took a deep breath, placing a hand lightly on Yachi’s shoulder. “Okay, it seems like Kyoutani and I need to have a discussion.” He helped the girl stand, patting her arm. “I’m sorry Lady Yachi, but could you please return without me?” She nodded and quickly scampered out the room. As soon as the doors had shut, Yahaba turned to Kyoutani, arms folded. His expression was nothing short of furious. “The fuck was that about Kentarou?”

“Are we a serious thing?” The words were out Kyoutani’s mouth before he had even thought about them, and the change in Yahaba’s expression made him wish he could immediately swallow them back in. The prince looked genuinely shocked and a little hurt, his brows furrowed.

His voice was quiet as he sat on one of the plush chairs, “What?” He motioned for Kyoutani to join him and, after a brief moment of hesitation, he complied, sinking into the chair opposite the prince.

Kyoutani folded his arms, making a point not to look at Yahaba, instead staring out the window where snow was lightly falling over the valley. “You heard me.”

The prince sighed, “Of course we are Kentarou.” His tone was soft, softer than Kyoutani was used to, and he looked up at the sound of it. Yahaba’s expression had shifted to a small smile, “I don’t go around kissing every guard in our employ you know.” He chucked to himself at the thought. A brief moment of silence washed over them, the conversation seemingly over. But as Kyoutani went to stand, Yahaba’s eyes lit up and he gasped, “Oh. I see.” The brief look of shock melted into a large grin, “You’re jealous.”

“Fuck off.” Kyoutani snarled, he wasn’t fucking jealous. Was he?

Yahaba laughed, “No, no.” he stood from his chair and crossed the short distance to Kyoutani’s. “It’s cute.” Yahaba dropped down right onto Kyoutani’s lap and he wheezed at the sudden weight on his thighs. While Yahaba wasn’t exactly heavy, he was a reasonably strong six-foot-tall man. Kyoutani felt a hand on his cheek, pushing it so the pair were eye to eye once more. Any hint of teasing was gone from the prince’s gaze and all Kyoutani could see was affection. “Honestly, I’m kind of happy you’re serious enough about me to care.”

For that comment, Yahaba got a light shove to the shoulder and a murmured “Of course I care, asshole.”

The prince’s answering smile was blinding, almost forcing Kyoutani to look away, but he stayed steadfast, “Good.” Yahaba leant in, their lips barely brushing against each other’s. “Now shut up and kiss me.”

Kyoutani wouldn’t dare refuse such an order.

* * *

It was almost twenty minutes before the pair returned to the main hall, both sporting kiss-bitten lips and rumpled clothes. The knowing glares Iwaizumi sent his way for the rest of the evening were mortifying, but Kyoutani couldn’t bring himself to care as he watched Yahaba return to the crowd. It seemed as though the Karasuno court was departing, and both monarchs were swept up in an emotional hug that seemed to last forever. Yahaba approached Prince Kageyama, the both of them giving each other an awkward handshake. Kyoutani heard Iwaizumi chuckle next to him as they watched Oikawa ruffle Prince Kageyama’s hair, ignorant to the glares the young prince was sending his way. Kyoutani caught the eye of the Karasuno King’s guard, nodding in acknowledgement as the man began to usher his charge and his people out of the hall.

With the departure of the Karasuno court, the party began to die down quickly. It seemed as though the visitors had been the main attraction of the party. Which, considering the evening’s events, wasn’t too hard to believe. To Kyoutani’s relief it seemed as though there had been fewer problems with drunk partygoers this time around and it only took an hour for the last of the crowd to stagger their way out of the castle. As the doors closed, the royals practically ran up to where Kyoutani and Iwaizumi were still standing.

“Well that was fun.” Oikawa flung his arms around Iwaizumi and sighed dramatically, “But now I’m tired. Iwa, will you carry me?”

“Like hell I will.” Iwaizumi grumbled, but picked the king up, nonetheless. He jostled Oikawa in his hold until he had him bridal style, the king’s arms secure around his neck. Oikawa buried his face into Iwaizumi’s neck and Kyoutani fought back a retch.

As the pair descended the steps, Oikawa called back to Yahaba, waving from over Iwaizumi’s shoulder, “Be safe you two.”

Yahaba only flipped him off in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: I just wanted more Karasuno in my Seijoh story ok
> 
> Hello all! I couldn't resist putting Karasuno back in this story after how much fun I had writing them in the fourth chapter. I really like Hinata's energy.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	8. Declaration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the misunderstanding at the Midwinter Ball, all doubts about their relationship had been cleared. And a quiet evening descended onto the castle.

A while later found Kyoutani and Yahaba back in the prince’s quarters, the moon shining pale light into the room. Both of their outfits from the evening were scattered around the room and the fire in the fireplace was slowly burning out, embers glowing softly. The pair were bundled up on Yahaba’s bed, the prince’s head on Kyoutani’s chest, the guard running his fingers rhythmically through Yahaba’s soft caramel hair. The silence was comforting, like a blanket on the moment, hiding the two of them from the rest of the world. Though Kyoutani knew Yahaba wouldn’t let it settle for very long. He was proved right when the prince looked up at him and smiled softly.

“I love you.”

Kyoutani choked on his own spit.

Yahaba sat up and pulled Kyoutani forward, thumping his back a few times as he coughed. “Sorry, do you want some water?” The prince offered, as the guard slowly regained control of his lungs.

Kyoutani shook his head and took a few deep breaths. “The fuck?”

“I said I love you, dumbass. I figured after all the drama today I should suck it up and tell you.” He smiled, uncaring that his confession had almost caused a heart attack. “You shouldn’t be so surprised.” Kyoutani felt Yahaba poke at his shoulder.

“Why me though?” Kyoutani was far from an idiot. He knew that Yahaba liked him. But a confession of love? That was a lot. Especially to someone as… emotionally challenged as himself.

Yahaba shifted on the bed so that his shoulder was pressed against Kyoutani’s, the familiar warmth comforting. “What do you mean why you?” His tone was deceptively calm.

“I’m…” Kyoutani hesitated. Violent? Rude? Unlikeable? Mad? He settled on “Not exactly nice.”

The prince laughed and elbowed Kyoutani in the side, “I like that about you. Where would I be without my Mad Dog?” He ignored Kyoutani’s frustrated exhale at the nickname and shrugged in the guard’s peripheral vision. “Besides, it’s not like I’m the nicest person either.” At this Kyoutani turned to face Yahaba, intent on teasingly agreeing and putting both them and this increasingly serious discussion to bed, but the prince’s expression gave him pause. It was sad. Kyoutani had seen Yahaba sad before. Of course he had, he’d been around the prince all hours of the day for almost a year now. But he had never seen sadness in this way. It looked deflated and almost defeated. Like all the strength and pride he admired in Yahaba had been drained out of him. Kyoutani must have looked visibly confused because he continued on, “Well I’m no Oikawa, I wouldn’t exactly make a popular king.”

Kyoutani would have had to have been deaf to miss the sour note of self-deprecation in Yahaba’s voice and was quick to deliver a swift punch to the prince’s arm.

“Ouch! The fuck was that for?” Yahaba gripped his arm and glared daggers at Kyoutani.

He only scowled in response, “Idiot, you’d make a good king.”

Yahaba’s jaw dropped in shock for a second before he blinked himself out of whatever trance he’d been in. He grinned up at Kyoutani and dramatically flopped into his lap, “Wow, a genuine compliment from my Kentarou. Today must be my lucky day.” He laughed and sat up. He leant in, lips now inches from Kyoutani’s own, and whispered, “I’ll tell you what, when I’m king, the first thing I’ll do is make you my queen.”

Kyoutani snarled and pushed Yahaba back, like hell he was just going to take the prince saying something like _that_ with a straight face. Kyoutani pounced, a small smirk on his face as the two of them began to grapple. Though Kyoutani was the stronger of the pair, Yahaba was agile and had an extraordinary talent for wriggling out of Kyoutani’s grip. They wrestled back and forth for a few minutes before Kyoutani finally managed to pin the prince down. He basked in his victory for a split second before his brain caught up and he finally took in the sight of the prince below him.

Yahaba was spread out under him, hair mussed and face red, blush spreading down his neck and towards his shoulders. His breath was quick, and his pupils were blown, the barest hint of brown visible. Never had Kyoutani seen a sight so inviting. Leaning down, he claimed the prince’s mouth with his own. He took his time, enjoying the feeling of soft lips against his own, slowly sliding his tongue to catch Yahaba’s as he deepened the kiss. Soft noises were flowing freely from Yahaba’s throat and it spurred Kyoutani on as he pulled back to attach himself to the pale column of Yahaba’s throat, teeth lightly grazing a spot behind the prince’s jaw that caused his back to arch against the bed, a loud whine ringing through the room.

He pulled back, giving them both a brief moment to breathe. The prince let out a soft chuckle,

“So, can I take this to mean you love me too?”

Kyoutani had never been particularly good with words, so he hoped a muffled “Love you too.” and the answering kiss was a clear enough response.

* * *

From then on, their afternoons together had evolved once more. Any pretences between them had dropped and it had become almost routine for the two of them to stumble out of the prince’s chamber for dinner with swollen lips and bruises forming along both men’s throats. If Oikawa had noticed, (which he absolutely had) he didn’t say anything. (Likely knowing that Yahaba held a tryst of a similar nature over his head too.) But what had changed the most was the following hours. Kyoutani had, after that night, stopped sleeping in his own quarters altogether, instead curling up around Yahaba in the prince’s bed, drifting off with his partner, _his_ prince, safe in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: So much fluff for a fic tagged 'major character death' lol
> 
> Hello all! I know this is the shortest chapter yet but it felt weirdly paced when I tried to write any more :')
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	9. All Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All it took was one cold winter's night. One night. And Kyoutani's entire world changed.

It was a quiet night, late into winter. The sun had set long ago, the temperature dropping quickly with every passing hour. The prince’s quarters were illuminated by the soft glow of moonlight as Yahaba and Kyoutani changed out of the day’s clothes. Yahaba had finished pulling on his sleepshirt, while Kyoutani stripped out of his armour, preferring to sleep shirtless. It had been a long day. Yahaba had entertained Matsukawa and Hanamaki, two high ranking lords and close friends of the king, all morning and the pair’s antics had exhausted both the prince and the guard. Dinner had been a casual affair, with Oikawa sending the usual pointed looks at the marks adorning their necks, and Yahaba returning looks of his own at the matching bruises peeking out from the collars of both his and Iwaizumi’s shirts.

The pair had settled into bed with relatively little banter, each murmuring one last soft “I love you.” against the other’s lips before slowly drifting off to sleep.

It was then that a loud crash caused Kyoutani to jump up, searching the room for any threat. Yahaba stayed on the bed, eyes wide with panic. They both made their way to the window only to be met with the sight of smoke and the sounds of screams. The outer wall of the castle was nothing more than rubble as soldiers in familiar purple armour poured from the resulting opening.

Oikawa had been wary of an invasion from the neighbouring kingdom of Shiratorizawa for years now. He had rejected a trade deal from their king, Ushijima Wakatoshi, three years ago, claiming that it was not in Aoba Johsai’s best interest, but the king had taken the rejection as a personal slight and tensions between the two kingdoms had been rising ever since.

Kyoutani grabbed his sword and managed to pull his belt and leather breastplate on before pulling Yahaba away from where he was still standing, shellshocked, at the window.

“No time. We need to go.” He growled, slotting his hand in Yahaba’s, and taking off down the corridor.

* * *

Together they ran through the castle, Kyoutani in front. One hand brandishing his sword, the other tightly clasped in Yahaba’s, pulling the prince along behind him. The halls were so empty, the sounds of the fighting outside echoing across the walls. Reaching the end of the west wing, Kyoutani pushed the both of them to the wall, inching forward to poke his head out and check the junction. No one. He turned back to Yahaba. His eyes were wide with panic and slightly glazed over, breathing coming faster and faster. But Kyoutani couldn’t let either of their fear stop them from getting to safety. He didn’t have the time.

So he tugged on Yahaba’s arm and once again they started running, heading towards the main hall. If they could just get there, they would be safe in the hidden chambers behind the throne. Likely Iwaizumi had already gotten Oikawa there and it would be easier to defend both royals with the king’s guard there to have his back.

Kyoutani kept his vigilant stare as they turned through corridor after corridor, flying past guests’ quarters, servants’ quarters, hosting rooms, all of them a blur as the pair ran. Luckily, it seemed that all of the fighting was taking place outside. Kyoutani’s fingers twitched on his blade, part of him itching to get out there and join his fellow guards in the battle, but he had his duty. And, though he was still loathed to admit it to the haughty prince’s face, Yahaba was his first priority.

They skidded out into the entry hall, turning the final corner. The doors to the main hall were wide open and Kyoutani picked up his pace, Yahaba practically being dragged behind him. But he couldn’t let up. They were so close. It was right there. It was going to be-

“AAAAGH!”

Kyoutani’s blood froze.

* * *

Stopping in his tracks he turned to Yahaba and, in that moment, almost wished he hadn’t.

He was still standing, hair mussed and stuck to his forehead with sweat. His hand shook in Kyoutani’s. But it was the barbed arrow protruding from his chest that horrified Kyoutani to his core.

A moment passed. Two moments.

There was a quiet ‘twang’ and Kyoutani didn’t have any time to react before a second arrow burst its way through Yahaba’s chest next to the first, blood starting to seep through his shirt. The prince coughed and a small trickle of blood spewed from his mouth and onto Kyoutani. Behind the both of them, cloaked in black, was a man, his bow raised, a third arrow nocked against the string.

Kyoutani saw red.

The man had tried to flee but Kyoutani was faster. Soon the floor was splattered with his blood. He ripped the cloak off the assassin. He must have been around Kyoutani’s age, sandy hair cut short and choppy, brown eyes stared, unmoving. Likely an infiltrator from Shiratorizawa looking for-

Yahaba.

He whipped his head back around and paled. Yahaba had collapsed to the floor, hands braced on his knees. Kyoutani was back by his side in seconds. He carefully sliced at his shirt with his knife, he needed to see the wounds. Needed to see how to fix them. If he could get Yahaba to the safe room quick enough maybe he could-

“K- Kentarou.” Yahaba’s voice shook, “It’s going to be ok.”

Damnit, why the fuck was he trying to comfort Kyoutani right now? “I’ll carry you.” He moved to grab Yahaba’s shoulder.

“No.” The prince coughed, a small trickle of blood making its way down his chin, “We both know I’m not making it out of this one.”

Kyoutani snarled at him.

“Oh don’t give me that.” Another cough. “You can see how bad it is as well as I can.”

Blood was pouring more freely from both wounds now, both arrows in perfect position to have pierced at least a lung, maybe even his heart. But he couldn’t just stay here. There was no way Kyoutani was just going to let him _die_. The guard reached to move Yahaba once more, but the prince yelled out in pain the second Kyoutani had tried to shift him.

“Moving is only going to make it worse Kentarou.” He admonished. It made Kyoutani want to scream. How dare he try and scold him while he was… while he was _dying_.

“Then what the fuck do you expect me to do?” he yelled. Tears started to prick at the sides of his eyes, but he ignored them. He’d never cried in front of Yahaba before and he sure as fuck wasn’t going to start now.

“Just,” He coughed again, and a fresh wave of blood fell from his mouth. “Just hold me. Please.” Kyoutani wanted to object, but the look on Yahaba’s face made him pause, “Kentarou I’m not stupid. I know I’m dying.”

Kyoutani growled, like hell he was. All that did was make the prince chuckle, though that quickly degraded into yet another fit of blood-filled coughs.

“I know it’s selfish, but I want your face to be the last one I see.”

It was that simple admission that finally burst the dam, tears streaking silently down Kyoutani’s face. “Don’t want you to go.”

“Heh, you think I do?” Yahaba winced again as his arms finally gave out, Kyoutani catching him before the prince’s face hit the floor below them, the carpet slowly staining with blood. He moved so the prince was cradled on his lap. “Never thought I’d live to see the day you’d cry in front of me.” He teased, “Though I guess I didn’t.”

“Stop joking!” Kyoutani couldn’t do it. Couldn’t hear him talk that way. Not now. Yahaba’s face started to blur through his tears and he quickly wiped them on his arm, not caring if he was smearing blood on his face.

“Ok.” Yahaba’s voice was getting more strained, his breathing shallower, “I’m sorry.”

“The fuck?” Kyoutani snapped. Yahaba was the one bleeding out in his arms. Why was he the one apologising?

“I didn’t want to leave you so soon.” His eyes were starting to go glassy, currently facing Kyoutani but unfocused. A sob wrenched its way out of Kyoutani’s chest.

“Damnit, I love you Shigeru.” Kyoutani had said those three words many times before of course, but never had he meant them more than in this moment.

Yahaba smiled up at him. That soft, perfect smile reserved for the rare moments their banter fell to the wayside and they let themselves indulge in the softer sides of falling in love.

“I love you too Kentarou.” His voice was even quieter, rougher, barely more than a choked whisper. “Could you kiss me one last time?”

Instantly Kyoutani leant down, pressing his lips against Yahaba’s. Most of their kisses had been rough and bruising. All tongues and teeth and passion. But this one was delicate. Nothing more than a slow, soft touch of lips, filled with love and desperation. Yahaba’s mouth tasted metallic, blood smearing across both their faces. When Kyoutani pulled back, Yahaba’s eyes were closed and he let out one last shaky exhale, body going still in Kyoutani’s arms.

Kyoutani screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Sorry?
> 
> Well there it is. The fic was tagged Major Character Death for a reason. Y'all should've known it was gonna get sad.   
> But don't worry, we're not done yet. (It does get better. I promise.)
> 
> Also I didn't know this when I was writing this but one of the kanji in the name 'Yahaba' means arrow. (I checked his wiki page for some extra information when I was editing an earlier chapter and nearly screamed when I saw that) So that's an extra layer of sad for y'all.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	10. The Safe Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everything he swore to protect gone, Kyoutani was left to figure out what he'd do next.

When he finally came to, Kyoutani had no idea how much time had passed. He looked around to find the entry hall unchanged. The Shiratorizawa assassin lay dead several feet away and Kyoutani was still on his knees, the weight of Yahaba still pressing against him. The guard could barely bring himself to look down.

Yahaba looked… peaceful. If it weren’t for the arrows in his chest and the blood, now congealing, down his face and torso, you could almost assume he was sleeping. Kyoutani blinked back another wave of tears and pressed his forehead to his prince’s. His skin was cooler than it should be.

But Kyoutani knew he couldn’t stay in the hall with Yahaba, (he wouldn’t call him a corpse. He _couldn’t_ ) so he slowly stood, scooping the prince into his arms. Slowly he staggered through the entry hall and into the main hall. The sounds of battle still rang out and it made Kyoutani shiver. How much longer was this damn fight going to carry on?

Reaching the throne, Kyoutani slowly leant Yahaba against the back wall, pulling the curtains that draped the back portion of the room to the side to reveal a small but sturdy door.

Two knocks. Pause. Three more knocks. Pause. One final knock.

He received a response a few moments later, the second part to the three-part signal.

Three knocks. Pause. Four knocks. Pause. Two knocks.

Kyoutani finished the third part of the signal: Five knocks in quick succession followed by a final two.

Iwaizumi swung the door open, an expression of relief on his usually stern face, though Kyoutani couldn’t meet his superior’s eye.

“Kyoutani. Good. We were getting worried.” He paused, “Where’s Yahaba?”

His answering silence spoke volumes.

Th guard’s face grew darker, more intimidating. “Kyoutani. Where. Is. Shigeru?”

Kyoutani took a step back, too numb to find words. Iwaizumi stepped forward, eyes catching where Yahaba was slumped against the wall. It was all too clear what had happened. Iwaizumi moved towards Kyoutani and the last thing he saw before the world went black was the fist of the king’s guard hurtling towards his face, and a sharp pain across his cheek.

* * *

When he came to once more, the first thing he registered was the sound of crying. Loud, wailing sobs that had Kyoutani pushing himself up off the stone floor. When had he laid down? He couldn’t remember. Slowly forcing his eyes open he took stock of his surroundings. Ah, he was in the hidden safe room. The room was small and dimly lit by a few sconces on one wall. There was a table and some shelves, stocked with non-perishable foods like cured meats and grains. A large metal container with a spigot attached sat next to the table, likely filled with water. To his left was a bed, small but serviceable. It was there that Kyoutani saw the source of the crying. Oikawa was on the bed, back against the wall, curled up into himself and wailing, Iwaizumi sitting next to him, running a hand up and down the king’s back. Kyoutani sat up properly, blood rushing to his head, causing him to groan. At this, the king’s guard looked up and moved to join Kyoutani on the floor, face apologetic.

“Sorry.” He mumbled, “For punching you.”

Kyoutani grunted in response, massaging his jaw. He still had all his teeth, and it would probably only bruise. He deserved so much worse for what he let happen to Yahaba.

His head snapped up, scanning the room again. Where was Yahaba?

Iwaizumi noticed his panic and shuffled closer to the guard, “I told Oikawa. But I couldn’t bring him in here.” His tone was hushed, “I couldn’t do that to him.”

He nodded, understanding but still not feeling right about leaving him out there. A solid hand landed on his shoulder, and when he looked up all he could see in his superior’s face was sympathy.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I would have done had it been-” he trailed off, looking back to where Oikawa was still sobbing on the bed. “I don’t know if I should ask but… I saw him. What happened?”

Kyoutani opened his mouth, but when he tried to speak, no words would come. Just another choked sob that caused another round of tears. Strong arms wrapped around him as he silently cried. It was finally sinking in. His prince, his Yahaba, was gone. The first person he’d ever truly loved had died in his arms. It had been his job to keep him safe. And he had failed in the worst way possible.

Iwaizumi continued to hold him until the tears started to dry and Kyoutani pushed his superior off, embarrassed. His superior _and_ his king had just seen him cry. How pathetic. Wiping his eyes roughly, he started to speak. Loud enough for Iwaizumi to hear but quiet enough to hide his words from his still-wailing king. He told of how, when the battle had begun, the two were up in Yahaba’s quarters, (though he left out the exact details of how the two had been… Occupied.) and how they had run through the halls to make their way to the safe room. How they had turned the final corner. How Kyoutani hadn’t been vigilant enough. How he hadn’t seen the Shiratorizawa assassin raise his bow until it was too late. Until his prince had two arrows embedded in his chest. How he’d taken care of the archer but couldn’t do anything as Yahaba bled out in his arms. By the end of the story, his emotions had given way to a comfortable numbness, he had stopped shaking and was staring blankly at the wall.

When he was done, Iwaizumi stood and made his way back to Oikawa, turning to look at Kyoutani, eyes steeled in pain, “We’ll talk more about this when the battle is over.”

* * *

They didn’t talk more about it.

The fighting went on for several more hours until Shiratorizawa had finally been pushed back, Kindaichi coming to deliver the news to the king and the two guards. As they left the safety of the chamber, Kyoutani noticed that Yahaba had been removed from the wall of the main hall. It was probably for the best. Oikawa would have lost it if he had seen the body. Kyoutani’s steps were sluggish and robotic as he dragged his feet to join what was left of the Aoba Johsai army. The news of Prince Yahaba’s passing had already spread around and his fellow soldiers looked at him with a mix of accusatory stares and disgust. Of course they would. It was his fault their prince was dead after all. Though no one dared approach him about it. Kyoutani inwardly smirked. Maybe his harsh looks were good for something after all. There was no way he wanted to talk to anyone after this.

Iwaizumi stood at the front of the room on a small podium and cleared his throat. In unison, the soldiers fell into step, awaiting their debriefing. Kyoutani noted with a bitter laugh that everyone had given him a wide berth, no one wanting to stand next to the traitor that let their prince die.

“First things first, I want to congratulate everyone on our victory against the invading Shiratorizawa army. You all fought well.” Iwaizumi’s voice was rough, and he kept glancing at the door. It was clear he didn’t want to be there. “To any of you with any untreated injuries, no matter how minor, you _will_ go and get them seen to immediately. I will not have any of my soldiers collapse because of an infected scrape.” His gaze was piercing as it swept the room and several of the guard dropped their heads, clearly guilty of that exact offence. Iwaizumi continued, “To those of you with treated injuries, and those of you who are uninjured, you will report to the outer wall and assist in its rebuilding. Is that clear?”

The soldiers saluted, “Yes Captain Iwaizumi.” Then they scattered, leaving Kyoutani alone with the king’s guard as he shuffled from foot to foot, glancing at the door again. Kyoutani figured he was eager to return to the king’s side, unhappy that he had to leave Oikawa for even a minute. Kyoutani couldn’t blame him. Iwaizumi went to move towards the door but as he stepped down, he caught Kyoutani’s eye and motioned for him to join him. Pulling the younger aside his face was solemn.

“You know what happens next right?”

Kyoutani nodded. He knew the law. Had accepted that this was a potential consequence when he signed up for the job of royal guard. Aoba Johsai cared for its royalty like no other nation Kyoutani had ever known. And if one of its guards failed to protect their charge, they paid for their mistake with their own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Sorry Part 2
> 
> Aaaand the angst starts comin' and it don't stop comin'.
> 
> I promised you guys a happy ending, and a happy ending you will get. But I miiiight twist the knife a little more first.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	11. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite everything he'd worked for, not even Kyoutani could escape the law.

Kindaichi shuffled awkwardly at the door to Kyoutani’s cell. The young guard had barely left Kyoutani’s side the past week, keeping him under observation lest he try to run and escape his fate. Little did anyone know that Kyoutani had absolutely no desire to run. He had heard the whispers of course. Of how strange he had been acting. How the once vicious Mad Dog of the royal guard had accepted his imprisonment without a struggle. How he hadn’t growled at anyone since the fight. Kyoutani didn’t care. The court hadn’t even allowed him to go to Yahaba’s funeral. Nothing mattered anymore.

Instead, he sat on the floor of his cell, back against the stone wall, idly pitching small rocks at the metal bars opposite him. The cell was practically bare, the only amenities a rock-hard bed and a toilet behind a flimsy wooden screen. It wasn’t the worst place Kyoutani had ever lived.

Kindaichi cleared his throat, “Hey Kyoutani…” his voice was hesitant, “Did you hear the latest one?” Kyoutani sighed. There had been all sorts of rumours flying around the castle, each one brought to him by Kindaichi. How he’d had his tongue cut out in the fight and couldn’t speak. That he’d somehow been captured by Shiratorizawa and tortured. It was the closest thing to entertainment he’d had.

He huffed, “What?” voice even rougher than usual with disuse.

The young guard shifted from foot to foot, face conflicted. His hands fidgeted awkwardly with his armour.

“Spit it out already.” Kyoutani snapped, he may have had all the time in the world, but he sure as fuck didn’t want to spend it watching Kindaichi trip over his tongue.

“I- I don’t think this one’s true. I don’t know who started it.” He stopped, looking away from Kyoutani, “But… Well… I heard someone say it was you.”

Kyoutani’s head whipped up. “What?” His voice dropped into a growl,

Kindaichi jumped, “Well I didn’t hear it from anyone in particular, but they said you’d gone crazy and finally snapped and killed him yourself and I really hope that’s not true I mean I believe you when you said it was an assassin from-”

As Kindaichi’s ramblings settled into Kyoutani’s mind, he saw red. People thought he’d done it? He’d killed Yahaba? He _loved_ him. Why the fuck would he have hurt him? Before he could stop himself, he launched towards the bars to his cell, fist poised to strike Kindaichi. But he froze at the last second. There was no point. He may as well have killed Yahaba himself. It wasn’t like it was anyone’s fault but his that the prince was dead. He dropped to his knees; forehead pressed against the cool metal in front of him. He could hear Kindaichi slowly walking towards him, he must have jumped back when Kyoutani had lunged. He didn’t blame him.

“Sorry.” He muttered. “Obviously, that’s bullshit.”

The bars jostled slightly as Kindaichi sat down next to him, back against the bars. “I know.” The young guard laughed sadly, “I was stationed outside his room remember? You guys weren’t exactly quiet.”

Kyoutani huffed, a small smile tugging at his mouth at the thought of exactly the kinds of things Kindaichi and Watari had to hear while on duty. It was the first time he’d smiled in a week, and he figured it was probably the last.

* * *

It was a cold day, exactly one week from the battle, that had Kindaichi escorting Kyoutani to the execution grounds.

The sun glared at him as he stepped outside. What seemed like the whole of Aoba Johsai stood crowded around the gallows, screaming obscenities at Kyoutani with venom. He tuned them out, voices fading out to white noise around him. A few rocks pelted the side of his head as he trudged up the wooden steps. He didn’t struggle as he took his final position, Kindaichi pulling the coarse rope around his neck. His expression was almost blank, but Kyoutani saw the start of tears at the edges of his eyes. That boy had always been too emotional for his own good.

Oikawa, cloaked in black, marched towards the gallows. Iwaizumi stood between him and the crowd, close enough to keep the king’s hand secure in his own. Kyoutani looked away, a quick flash of envy burning away to the deep, unyielding sorrow that had waxed and waned over the last week. The crowd finally hushed as Oikawa took his place to Kyoutani’s left and held up a scroll of parchment. His eyes were red and rubbed raw and his voice was shaky as it rang over the grounds.

“Last week, during the battle against the invading Shiratorizawa army, our Crown Prince,” his voice hitched, “my cousin, Yahaba Shigeru, lost his life to an assassin from Shiratorizawa.” He looked over at Kyoutani. He had never seen the king look at him with such sympathy before. It made his blood boil. He should be mad at Kyoutani. It was his fault the prince was dead after all. He should be happy to be getting his vengeance. “Therefore, by the law of Aoba Johsai, as the personal guard of the Crown Prince, Kyoutani Kentarou will now be executed for his dereliction of duty.” Oikawa finished his decree with a choked sob. Lowering the parchment, he stepped forward and over to Kyoutani. The two were now face to face, closer than Kyoutani had ever wanted to be to his King.

“I don’t blame you Kentarou.” His words were soft, eyes shiny with tears, “I know how much you cared for him.”

That made his blood boil. “You should.” He spat back before lowering his gaze. Oikawa only sighed and retook his place on the podium.

“Do you, Kyoutani Kentarou, have any last words?”

He thought for a moment, taking in the cloudless sky one last time. He closed his eyes and spoke his final words, voice quiet.

“When I find you again, I’m going to kill you for leaving me.”

The floor dropped out from under him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Sorry Part 3
> 
> (this chapter was titled: 'Be in jail and die' in my word document. Decided against that being the chapter title for obvious reasons)  
> The story is still going, my friends. It ain't over yet!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	12. Another Breath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you really call something a second chance, if you can't remember your first attempt?

The incessant beeping of Kyoutani’s alarm shocked him out of bed, barely avoiding sending the offending device crashing into the wall opposite his bed. He pressed his hands to his eyes in frustration.

He knew he’d been having nightmares for years now. Every day he would wake up gasping for air like he’d been drowning. But he never remembered a thing about them. No matter how hard he tried, the details always escaped him. He shook off the lingering coil of fear in his stomach and pushed himself out of bed. Today wasn’t the day to be getting caught up in that shit. He had to be at school in an hour and the walk there took forty minutes at least.

He pulled on his volleyball jacket and track pants and brushed his teeth before quietly padding down the stairs. By now it was muscle memory to avoid the wonky board on the fourth stair from the bottom. He dropped two slices of bread into the toaster and filled up the dog bowls as he waited for his breakfast to cook. Once they were done, he quickly headed out the door.

* * *

The walk to school was by far Kyoutani’s favourite part of the day. Most of the world was still asleep so it was still relatively quiet, and he took a moment to bask in the first light of the day. He had always loved the sunrise. Even in summer when the days were long, Kyoutani had always woken up before the sun. It just felt right. Taking in a breath, he looked over the hills.

A small pang of sadness hit him, a familiar nostalgic feeling, one Kyoutani had never managed to figure out. It hit him every day. But still, he never missed those first few rays of light. On the rare days he did, he felt wrong. Like he’d forgotten something important and only the next day’s sunrise could calm him.

A car drove past, beeping at him, instantly souring any sort of good mood that Kyoutani had. He absently kicked a stray rock as he turned the final corner, the gates of Aoba Johsai coming into view. The rest of the team were all there, converged around the bus. Kyoutani silently sidled up to the group, keeping a fair distance between himself and them.

Coach Mizoguchi noticed his arrival and crossed his name off the register. “Alright, we’re all here. Let’s head off then. We’ve got a long day ahead of us.” He clapped his hands together, jolting the barely awake group into action.

The team all started to head towards the bus. Kyoutani hung back, not wanting to get caught up in the inevitable bottleneck as several teenagers tried to shove themselves through the bus door at the same time.

It took a full minute of half-hearted arguing and an intervention from Coach Mizoguchi, but eventually everyone had calmed down and were filing onto the bus in a way that could almost be called organised. Almost. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were still shoving at each other playfully and Iwaizumi was pushing a still half-asleep Oikawa up the steps and into a seat by the window.

Kyoutani chose a seat near the back, glaring daggers at anyone who dared to try and sit next to him. Luckily, the team knew by now to leave him well alone. What that didn’t stop was Yahaba and Watari sitting directly in front of him, their amicable chatter grating on Kyoutani’s every nerve. He had been sorely tempted to kick the chair of the setter in front of him but thought better of it at the last minute.

While he would usually have no problem spitting barbs at Yahaba, he wanted to be somewhere other than the bench today. Yesterday had been painful, standing there watching as the team played without him. He was itching to spike and causing a stir not three minutes into the bus ride was not the way to achieve that. Kyoutani would be the first to admit that he wasn’t particularly smart, but he could at least understand that much.

* * *

So instead, he seethed to himself for the next hour. He tried to block out the sounds of chatter around him and succeeded for the most part, only occasionally cracking his knuckles in frustration as Yahaba and Watari’s conversation got louder and more animated. He was almost proud of himself as the bus rolled into the gymnasium grounds without incident.

As soon as it was parked, and the doors were open, Kyoutani was elbowing his way off and away from everyone else under the pretence of needing the bathroom. He let out a frustrated snarl as he turned a corner, scaring some poor first year from another school. He found a quiet hallway and took a moment to recollect himself. He really really wanted to play today. The bench was boring. It only made the itch to spike worse as he watched the rest of his team score kill after kill.

After a few minutes, he felt calm enough to make his way back to the team, where they were all shucking off their jackets and bags to start warming up. He dropped his too, close enough to make it clear he was a member of the team but far enough away that he didn’t have to interact with anyone. Reluctantly he dragged himself to the rest of the group and joined in with the warmup that Iwaizumi was leading.

He was made to sit out the first game, much to his irritation. But Coach Mizoguchi placated him, reiterating that they were absolutely planning on putting him in the second game of the day.

It was an incredibly dull match, in Kyoutani’s opinion. The only thing the other team had going for them was their blocks, but even then, only two of them were really any good at it. Their setter was abysmal. Sure, he was tall, but his tosses were garbage, and his blocks were full of holes. It was no surprise that Aoba Johsai scored an easy victory.

During the break Kyoutani sat by himself, eating a light lunch. The rest of the team all sat together, laughing at something Hanamaki had said. Kyoutani fought against the urge to gag. He just wanted to get onto the court. Nothing else mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Finally, some volleyball in my Haikyuu fic
> 
> We ain't tagged reincarnation for nothing.  
> Thank you to everyone who stuck with this through all that angst! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	13. A Murder of Crows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the Karasuno vs Seijoh match began. Along with Kyoutani's big debut.

Soon enough it was time for the second game to begin and together, Aoba Johsai strode confidently onto the court. Coach Irihata had already explained the starting order to the team and Kyoutani had initially been angry; he hadn’t been on it. But Oikawa had just smirked at him and told him, “You’re a slow starter Mad Dog-chan. Let us get the first set for you first.” He had almost punched the captain at the insult, but Iwaizumi had glared at him and he had shrunk back under his upperclassman’s gaze.

As the starters took their places, Kyoutani took in their opponents. On the surface Karasuno didn’t look like much. Their average height was much shorter than pretty much every other team in the prefecture, and none of them looked particularly intimidating to Kyoutani. But he’d had to sit through enough of Oikawa’s speeches recently about the crows to know not to underestimate them. Though Kyoutani had never seen them play, he knew that their setter was a force to be reckoned with, along with a short but deceptively quick middle blocker. He picked the two of them out immediately, the pair almost comedic in their opposition to each other. The setter was tall and calm, focused in on the match in front of them. But the middle blocker was a tiny ball of energy, bouncing around on the court. Kyoutani felt a vein twitch in his forehead. He looked supremely irritating.

The rest of the team didn’t look like much. Oikawa hadn’t really spoken about any of the other crows bar ‘Tobio-chan’ and ‘Shrimpy’. He had mentioned another setter he called ‘Mr Refreshing’ but whoever he was, he wasn’t on the court. Karasuno had a fair few players benched so Kyoutani figured this mysterious second setter was one of them.

Of the rest of Karasuno, only two really caught Kyoutani’s interest. It seemed like they at least had two wing spikers of interest. The tall one with the goatee and the bald one both looked reasonably strong. Kyoutani hoped they could take the first set quickly so that he could come in and crush them.

* * *

Unfortunately, the set was not going in their favour. That ‘freak quick’ combination was fascinating to watch, and it had taken longer than they had hoped for the third years to come up with a way of countering it. The wing spikers were no slouches either. Goatee had incredible power and managed to pull off back attacks with ease and the bald one was seemingly unshakeable in his mentality, keeping Karasuno’s morale up with his endless energy. The third wing spiker was by no means as flashy as the other two, but Kyoutani could recognise a good receive when he saw it and his dependability was clearly an asset to the team. Karasuno’s libero was strong and their other middle blocker was ridiculously tall and had solid game sense. In conclusion, they were strong, and Kyoutani couldn’t wait to destroy them.

His opportunity came earlier than expected. The first set was nearing its end, and to the whole of Aoba Johsai’s annoyance, it was Karasuno’s set point. As Iwaizumi slammed down another kill, he brought their scores within a point of each other. It was then that Irihata called Kyoutani over, sending him into the game. As he switched with Kunimi, he could see the gears turning in Oikawa’s head. But he didn’t care about whatever strategy he came up with. He was finally in a game and could finally spike.

Iwaizumi served and unsurprisingly, Karasuno managed to pick it up. But Aoba Johsai was ready, grabbing the ball back with a solid one-touch from Hanamaki. Kyoutani exhaled. His time was finally here. He watched the ball sail towards Oikawa and the itch to spike became unbearable. The world around him faded away until it was just him and the ball. He sprinted towards the net, barely noticing his collision with Kindaichi. His pulse thrummed in his veins as he jumped, and he revelled in the feeling of his palm hitting the ball. A split second later the ball hit the floor.

Out.

Karasuno had taken the first set.

* * *

The second set went more in their favour, with ‘Mr Refreshing’ making an appearance but ultimately being unable to stop Aoba Johsai. The jump floater pinch server pissed Kyoutani off. He’d taken too many points for his liking. But Oikawa’s killer serves kept the set securely in their grasp, though Kyoutani would never admit that to him. Especially after he’d been scolded for getting blocked. Like hell he was going to wimp out and feint.

It was in the third set that things started to go wrong. That bald wing spiker had started seriously pissing Kyoutani off. That damn crow was picking a fight with him, trying to intimidate him. And like hell Kyoutani was going to take that lying down. He jumped for ball after ball, hitting harder and harder until he could feel his arm start to ache. He could feel his teammates willing him to calm down, but he ignored them, letting red cloud his vision. He didn’t need to hear their whining. All he needed was to make this spike his strongest yet. Maybe if he slammed it down right next to that damn bald spiker he would fuck off.

He swung as hard as he could, ignoring the blockers in front of him. His palm hit the ball. The ball hit the net.

He could hear Oikawa pushing Iwaizumi to scold him, but the referee’s whistle stopped Seijoh in their tracks. There Kunimi stood, Kyoutani’s number in his hand. He barely stopped himself from snapping as he walked off the court, grabbing his number from the first year. Coach Irihata was there to greet him, telling him to calm down if he wanted to return to the court. He stormed back to the box, facing the wall. Like hell he was going to deal with his teammates right now.

“Hurry up and pull yourself together.” Of course, it was Yahaba that broke the silence. “We don’t have anything left after this.” He sounded tired and pissed off. Exactly what Kyoutani didn’t want to have to put up with.

Kyoutani heard the bench warmers gasp behind him but he ignored them. “Shut up. Like I care.” He responded, not even bothering to turn around.

There was a moment of pause as another point was scored and Matsukawa went to switch back in, leaving them with a stern “Yahaba, don’t push him too hard.”

The third year jogged back onto the court and there was yet another brief wash of silence.

“Sorry, but no.” Yahaba’s voice was quiet but sure. “You let the opponent provoke you, got pissed off, then fizzled out.” His words were harsh against Kyoutani’s back. “Talk about lame.”

That got Kyoutani’s attention. He whipped his head back around, “Huh?”

It was clear now that Yahaba had his attention. The setter turned back to face the court, but he was nowhere near done talking.

“You had the nerve to come back, and then got to go right into a match.” At this Kyoutani turned properly. “Some guys have a problem with that.” Yahaba stuck a hand on his hip, “Like me.”

He took a pause, looking over at Oikawa. “I thought he was pretty cold. Both to you and to us.”

Kyoutani took another step forward. Where the fuck was Yahaba going with this?

“But that’s not the problem. The players we need to win are chosen as regulars.” He took another breath and turned to face Kyoutani. “You were chosen.”

He frowned, wondering when Yahaba would just get to the point.

“So do your job right.”

Ah. There it was. The tension between the two skyrocketed, neither backing away from the other’s gaze. A second. Two seconds. Then Yahaba sighed.

“Well, it was just a front.” He said, seemingly to himself.

His breath left his lungs as he felt himself slam against the wall behind him, Yahaba’s face inches from his own, hands twisted in Kyoutani’s shirt.

He looked murderous.

“If you screw this up, I won’t forgive you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Game Set FUCK
> 
> I know, I know. Most of this is p much just the game itself. But it was necessary to set up the next chapter so bear with me on this one.  
> I rewatched the necessary episodes like 6 times writing this chapter.
> 
> Also, Fun Fact: I'm starting on a new fic for this series. Huzzah! So that's in the works now. I'm p excited for it tbh.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	14. Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, one moment can span across multiple lifetimes.

“If you screw this up, I won’t forgive you!”

Hearing those words was like being punched in the gut. It was like coming home after a long day. It was like hearing the worst news possible. It was like watching the sunrise.

Images and emotions flooded through Kyoutani’s mind, as if Yahaba had just spoken the password to release a dam holding back years of memories. Pictures of a time long passed. Of a castle by a riverbank, draped in teal and silver. Of a king loved by his people and a guard loved by his king. Of sharp words and bad first impressions. Of diplomacy and understandings. Confessions and kisses. Nights once tense softened by fondness. One night filled with blood. A pair of lovers parted too soon. A prince and his soldier.

He saw Oikawa, crown perched atop his head. He saw Iwaizumi, fists raised as he stood ready to fight. He saw Kindaichi and Watari, howling with laughter at Yahaba. He saw Yahaba. _Fuck_ did he see Yahaba. He saw him standing on a platform, draped in teal robes. Saw him sitting on a four-poster bed, glaring daggers at Kyoutani. Saw his face inches from his own, eyes wide with affection. Saw him covered in red, life draining from his face. The memories engulfed Kyoutani and he drowned in them, trying to piece two lives together like two jigsaw puzzles that had been upturned into the same box.

He desperately searched the scattered pieces; he just couldn’t make sense of it all. The Yahaba in his mind and the Yahaba in his life were completely different. This Yahaba was an asshole. He thought of himself too highly and trailed after Oikawa like a puppy. The other Yahaba was softer, kinder. He let his guard down with Kyoutani whereas this Yahaba was nothing short of completely closed off.

The pressure in his head grew, it was like a vice on his brain, slowly tightening. Kyoutani’s mind’s eye started to blur as he cracked under the pressure of it all.

“If you screw this up, I won’t forgive you!”

* * *

The memory burst through his vision like a needle through a balloon. Words said, not in a volleyball gym but in an opulent guest hall. A different time, a different place, but the same fire behind those brown eyes. The same snarl on his lips. And everything snapped into place. The headache shattered as if it was never there. This was the same Yahaba. The same funny, hardworking asshole that he had loved. That he still loved.

When Kyoutani finally resurfaced, he was met once again with Yahaba’s face an inch from his own. But instead of fury, his expression was that of shock, tear tracks streaming down his cheeks. Kyoutani couldn’t stop the bubble of fondness and disbelief that welled up in his chest. This was his prince, his Yahaba, his _Shigeru_. He’d found him again.

The rest of the world fell away for a moment, and the two stared at each other dumbfounded, until Yahaba finally found his voice.

“Did- Did you just see…” his voice shook, and Kyoutani could only nod in response. He felt tears prick at the corners of his own eyes as he brought the setter into a bone crushing hug. He buried his face into Yahaba’s neck, his hands winding around his waist and through his hair. Yahaba’s arms were still gripped into Kyoutani’s shirt, sandwiched between the two of them in a way that must have been painful. It was wonderful.

A cough from behind them burst the bubble that had formed around the pair and they jumped apart to see the whole gym staring at them. The usual sounds of shoes squeaking, balls bouncing, and crowds cheering had fallen away into complete silence. Kyoutani felt his face flush bright red and he dropped his gaze to the floor, suddenly transfixed by a knot in the floorboard.

“Uhm…” Watari cautiously approached the pair, unable to school his features into anything other than complete and utter confusion. “Are you two ok?”

Yahaba laughed nervously, “Yeah. We’re good. Sorry for the interruption.” He dropped into a bow, Kyoutani quick to follow his lead. That had been one of the most mortifying moments of his life. (lives? He was still kinda struggling to make sense of it.)

The referee blew his whistle and the game resumed, seemingly satisfied with the apology. As the ball flew across the court, Kyoutani took a breath. The rage from before had been completely doused and when he caught Coach Irihata’s gaze, he saw him nod. Kyoutani would be going back to the court soon.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, at the next opportunity, he had been beckoned over and he’d left the box, barely hearing Yahaba’s quiet “We’ll talk later.” from behind him.

As he re-joined the players on the court, he gave Oikawa a slight nod, and another of the king’s- no, the captain’s signature smirks was sent his way. Though Kyoutani could swear there was a new glint in his eye. One of recognition.

That was something Kyoutani hadn’t even thought to consider. Was this Oikawa the same as his king? Had the whole of the Aoba Johsai guard and nobility all reunited here? If they had, did any of them remember? Did any of them still blame him? He vividly remembered the disgust on their faces during his last week. Would they turn their backs on him again? Would he be kicked off the team?

He was snapped out of his daze by a harsh slap against his back. Turning his head, he saw Iwaizumi standing behind him, a look of determination on his face. “Focus.”

It was all he needed to push the memories from his mind for a moment. He settled into position, facing off against Karasuno, any idle musings on the potential pasts of his teammates or opponents nothing more than tiny passing thoughts.

Kyoutani slowly but surely melded into the team seamlessly, seemingly more in tune with the movements of his comrades than he had ever been before. He knew exactly where Oikawa would set the ball, could feel Watari’s calming presence at the back of the court. He made a deadly combination with Iwaizumi, both wing spikers in perfect sync. And when Yahaba had been subbed into the game, albeit briefly, the two had moved nearly seamlessly together.

* * *

But it wasn’t enough.

As the final ball rebounded off Oikawa’s arms, the gym fell silent. A second passed, two seconds. Then the final whistle blew.

The crowd went wild with applause and Karasuno screamed from across the court, grabbing at each other in celebration. But Seijoh remained stock still. They had lost. It was all over.

“Come on everyone. Line up.” Oikawa clapped his hands a few times, his voice cutting through the cheers like a knife. It was cheerful, but so clearly forced. Kyoutani dragged his feet as he made his way to the back of the court, taking his place on the end of the line. His eyes caught Iwaizumi’s and seeing the unshakeable ace with tears rolling down his cheeks was like a slap to the face.

They bowed to Karasuno one last time, then turned to the stands, to their classmates and everyone that had come to support them, bowing once more. They were then ushered out the gym and Kyoutani fell into step with Yahaba and Watari, faces set with determination. They would come back next year, stronger than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: The reason I wrote this whole fic lol
> 
> I love these two morons so much you guys have no idea.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	15. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the tournament over, Kyoutani and Yahaba finally had a moment to breathe. And sort out... whatever it was that had just happened.

The atmosphere in the changing room after the match was heavy. The sadness hung over the team like a thick treacle and no empty encouragements from Oikawa could lift it. Kyoutani robotically shucked his jersey and changed back into his tracksuit, angrily stuffing the uniform into his bag. He could hear several of his teammates still sniffling around him. He barely resisted the urge to punch a locker. It would have been bad enough if they’d lost to Shiratorizawa. But losing in the semi-finals? To Karasuno? A team they had already managed to beat?

With that thought it was like his strings had been cut, and he dropped down onto one of the benches, the exhaustion from the game finally catching up to him. He watched the room as the rest of his team finished changing. Watari was comforting a still-crying Kindaichi who was sobbing softly into his jersey. The third years were huddled together in a corner. He couldn’t tell but he was pretty sure all four of them were in tears too. Kunimi looked passive as ever as he changed, but there was a certain sluggishness to his movements that looked extreme, even for him. Yahaba had already left the room, having been the first to finish changing. Kyoutani figured he was in the bathroom or something.

Once everyone had finished changing, uniforms stuffed unenthusiastically into bags, Oikawa half-heartedly ushered them all out the room. Kyoutani followed the team out and through the stadium, watching as Oikawa and Iwaizumi took one last look into the hall, hands intertwined.

* * *

They trudged back to the bus in silence, all of their enthusiasm from the morning had been shattered with their defeat. Even the coaches couldn’t figure out what to say to the team. Kyoutani hung back as usual, watching the rest of the team filter up and onto the bus.

He felt a slight tug at his wrist, and he snapped his head around to growl at whoever had touched him, but the shout died on his tongue when his eyes met Yahaba’s. The setter had been rubbing at his face to hide his tears but that had just left his skin red and puffy. Kyoutani had no idea what to do so he nodded and made his way onto the bus.

He took his usual seat near the back and was unsurprised when Yahaba dropped into the seat next to him. Watari poked his head over the seat in front, still none the wiser to the reason behind the pair’s sudden change in behaviour. But he seemed to see something in Yahaba’s face that put him at ease, so he let it be, turning back after a moment.

Finally, Kyoutani let the memories back in. They washed over him in waves and he rolled with them, recalling more and more snapshots of his life in the castle. Small, everyday things like how Kindaichi once tripped over his own sword in training, or the time he’d caught Oikawa and Iwaizumi making out in the kitchens. It almost made him want to laugh. Even a lifetime later, absolutely nothing had really changed.

Yahaba shuffled in his seat, shoulder bumping against Kyoutani’s, pulling him back into the present. “I missed you.” His voice was barely a whisper.

“Dumbass, you didn’t know until today.” He huffed. But he understood the sentiment. He’d missed Yahaba too.

The setter chuckled, “Maybe so.” He let out a breath, “You know, its funny. I’ve had this feeling my whole life, like I’d left something super important behind. Guess I know now that I did.” His voice hitched again and Kyoutani pulled the setter closer to him, so the pair were sitting with their sides completely flush.

“Like hell. It wasn’t your fault.” He whispered into Yahaba’s hair. It was just as soft as he remembered, if not even more so.

Yahaba raised his head at that, shuffling away from Kyoutani so he could look him directly in the eye, “It wasn’t yours either.”

Kyoutani scoffed. That was bullshit. But Yahaba punched him lightly in the arm and pressed on, voice still quiet, so as to not be overheard.

“No Ken-” he cleared his throat, “Kyoutani.” Kyoutani frowned at the change of name, “Yes, it was your job, but no one would have seen that coming. It wasn’t your arrow that got me. It was that bastard from-” Yahaba froze, then burst into laughter, catching the attention of the rest of the team, who all turned in shock at the sound. He tried to apologise through his laughter, but he kept getting cut off by another bout of giggles. Kyoutani flushed at the sight, Yahaba’s face was slowly turning red as he laughed, and it was one of the cutest things he’d ever seen.

* * *

Eventually the laughter subsided, and he managed to apologise properly to the rest of the team. He then buried his face into Kyoutani’s chest, clearly embarrassed. He just looked down fondly, pretending a smile wasn’t tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“The fuck was that?” he asked, pulling at Yahaba’s shoulder. The setter shot up and wiped at his eyes,

“Sorry, sorry. It’s just…” his voice dropped back to a whisper, “The guy that got me. He was from _Shiratorizawa_.”

The dots finally connected in his mind. Shiratorizawa. Of course. Oikawa never shut up about that damn name in either life. Kyoutani said as much to Yahaba and the two snickered to themselves for a moment.

“You think he knows?” Kyoutani asked, the underlying _Do you think it’s the same Oikawa?_ hanging beneath his words.

Yahaba shrugged. “It would make sense if he did. His hatred of Ushiwaka always seemed too extreme for just a volleyball rivalry.” He settled himself back against Kyoutani, only for a moment, before he stiffened and moved away. “Sorry. Now that I know, I keep… I forget we’re not like that anymore. And if you don’t want us to be… that again… Then that’s ok. I’ll just-”

Kyoutani cut off Yahaba’s ramblings, pulling the setter back against his chest. “Shut up.” He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head and Yahaba went boneless in his arms, finally understanding that Kyoutani had missed Yahaba just as much as he had been missed. And shit had he missed him. Kyoutani was fairly certain he’d processed all the old memories now. That final week slotting into place in his brain.

He snorted to himself. “I said I’d kill you when I found you again.” Kyoutani’s voice was rough as he remembered his last words. Yahaba looked up at him, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah, I can believe that. You big asshole.” He chuckled, “But can you do it after we sleep? I wanna stand a chance against you and I’m way too tired for that right now.”

Kyoutani adjusted his arm around Yahaba, “Sure.” He looked out the window, the afternoon sky slowly starting to change colours.

Soon the exhaustion of the day, the rumbling of the bus’s engine, and the passing scenery lulled the both of them to sleep, Yahaba curled up against Kyoutani’s chest and the spiker’s arm secure around his setter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Defeat sucks bruh
> 
> Finally, they talked about it!   
> As much as I love writing the angsty stuff, I'm a real sucker for some fluff.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	16. Lifetimes of Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that memories had been processed, and relationships restarted, the only question that remained was: What next?

When Kyoutani woke, he was aware of two things. The first was that he had slept well. The best he’d slept in years. The second was the sound that had woken him up, muffled laughter coming from all directions. He cracked one eye open and saw the whole of the Aoba Johsai volleyball team crowded around him, phones out and pointed at him. It was at this point that Kyoutani became aware of a third thing. Yahaba had fallen asleep on him. In front of the whole team.

He jerked up and the resulting motion launched Yahaba off him, the setter waking with a start.

“The fuck Kentarou?” He spat, whirling around to face the spiker. A second passed as Yahaba’s brain caught up to his situation and the second he was aware of his surroundings, he went bright red.

Oikawa laughed from his place hanging off Iwaizumi’s shoulder, phone still pointed at the pair. “Well well well, it looks like the sleeping beauties are awake.” He paused, “If his royal highnesses would allow,” he threw a wink at the pair and both Yahaba and Kyoutani froze, now acutely aware that Oikawa _knew_ , “we have arrived at our destination and the rest of us would very much like to exit this bus without leaving our future captain and ace behind.” He turned and dramatically gestured to the door before starting the procession off the bus, dragging an exasperated Iwaizumi behind him.

The team made their way off the bus, most of them still giggling at whatever photos they had managed to take of the sleeping pair. Eventually only the second years remained and Watari stood from his seat, looking back at them. “So… are you two like…" he gestured vaguely with his hands, "dating or something?”

Yahaba sent a quick glance to Kyoutani, who nodded. Yahaba followed his lead, nodding almost sheepishly. “Yeah. We are.”

“Oh cool.” Watari shuffled awkwardly for a moment before he stopped, and grinned teasingly at the pair, “Well it’s good to know you both have shit taste in guys.”

Kyoutani just laughed as Yahaba leapt up from his seat and chased a fleeing Watari off the bus.

* * *

The ensuing dinner was relaxed. Apparently teasing the shit out of Kyoutani and Yahaba had been just the tonic the team needed, and any lingering tension had evaporated. Kyoutani sat sandwiched between Yahaba and Iwaizumi, slurping down his ramen as though he hadn’t eaten in days. Conversation flowed through the small restaurant easily and Kyoutani just sat back and let it wash over him as he let the day’s events play out in his mind again.

If you had told the Kyoutani that had woken up that morning that he would end the day with memories from a past life, he was sure he would have ignored you. If you had then told him that said past life included all of his current volleyball team, he would have scoffed at you. If you had told him that he had fallen in love with Yahaba, he would have decked you. But now, sitting in this restaurant, watching the aforementioned setter talk animatedly to Kindaichi, nothing felt more right.

A solid hand on his back stirred him out of his thoughts and he turned to see Iwaizumi staring at him. “You got a minute?”

Kyoutani nodded and followed his upperclassman out of the restaurant and into the street. The sun had started to set properly, the last orange rays of light peeking over the nearby buildings. Iwaizumi led him into a side alley and leant against the wall, face unreadable. Kyoutani was about to break the silence when he spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

That was definitely not what Kyoutani was expecting him to say. Iwaizumi’s arms were crossed, fingers digging into his biceps.

“You remember now, don’t you? During the game?” his voice shook a little. Kyoutani nodded twice, unsure where Iwaizumi was going with this.

“So you remember how you… how you died.”

The memory flashed through his mind, hand absently rubbing at his neck. He nodded again.

Iwaizumi refused to meet Kyoutani’s gaze, “That was the worst day of our lives. Mine and Tooru’s.” he pressed at his eyes with the heels of his hands, exhaling in frustration. “We lived. But it was never the same after that day. Neither of us were the same.” He dropped his hands, gaze finally meeting Kyoutani’s. Tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. “I am so so sorry Kyoutani.”

Kyoutani was lost for words. Iwaizumi blamed himself? Why? He had a million questions but settled instead on “Wasn’t your fault Iwaizumi-se, Iwaizumi.” Using honorifics when talking about their past just felt… wrong. “I failed. I’d accepted the job. I knew what would happen.”

“We should have changed that fucking law!” Iwaizumi was practically yelling now, fists tight at his sides. “From the day you and Yahaba started getting on, you became like family to us too. Losing Yahaba was bad enough. But that, at least, wasn’t our fault. Losing you was.”

Kyoutani froze, letting Iwaizumi’s words sink in. How long had he and Oikawa been crushed by this guilt? He didn’t know what to do. So he stepped forward and pulled the spiker into a tight hug. Iwaizumi froze for a moment before returning the hug even stronger.

“Well now this is a sight to see.” A singsong voice called from behind them and the two broke apart to see both Oikawa and Yahaba at the end of the alley, identical amused expressions on their faces. “I thought what we had was special Iwa-chan.” He teased.

“Shut up Shittykawa.” Iwaizumi’s face had flushed a strange shade of red. “I had to talk to him.”

Oikawa’s face morphed into something softer, something sadder, and he nodded. “I know Iwa-chan. I was gonna do the same thing.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Kyoutani blurted, hoping Oikawa would get his meaning. He watched the setter’s face crumble and he figured he’d hit the mark. Iwaizumi was by Oikawa’s side in an instant, taking his hands in his own. They brought their foreheads together, a hushed conversation passing between them. Kyoutani did his best to tune them out.

Yahaba sidled up to him, presence unnervingly reassuring. “What was that about?”

Kyoutani took a breath. Yahaba must have remembered the law. He’d been there when Kyoutani had accepted its consequences. “You died. So I died. They felt guilty.” He kept it short, unable to look at Yahaba. He didn’t want to see the setter’s reaction. But he still heard his soft gasp of recognition.

“I… I’d forgotten all about that damn law.” His voice was heartbreakingly shaky. “I didn’t really think about how you… You know…” he trailed off. “Oikawa-san must have hated that.” All Kyoutani could do was hum in acknowledgement.

Kyoutani heard Oikawa trudge over to the two of them, breath hitching as he started to cry. He felt Yahaba leave his side and immediately engulf Oikawa in a hug. The two setters held each other for a moment before Oikawa beckoned for Iwaizumi to join the hug. The spiker didn’t hesitate to join, dragging Kyoutani in with him.

And so there the four of them stood, arms wrapped around each other as they let out all the grief and blame they had held on to for lifetimes.

* * *

Through murmurs of “I’m sorry.” and “I missed you.” Yahaba finally spoke up.

“Well, we’re all together now.”

Oikawa burst out into a fresh wave of sobs and Kyoutani chuckled. He had always been an emotional piece of shit. At the sound of his laugh the setter’s head whipped up. “Iwa-chan! Mad Dog-chan is being mean to me.”

This brought a laugh out of the ace and even Yahaba started to giggle as Oikawa spluttered, finally wiping his eyes. “You’re all cruel and I hate you.” The four of them disentangled themselves from each other but made no move to return to the restaurant.

“Hey, Oikawa-san.” Yahaba turned to Oikawa, “If you both already knew, why didn’t you say anything?”

Oikawa laughed, “Iwa-chan and I have known for years. We figured it out in the last year of junior high. I nearly punched Tobio-chan and he stopped me.” Oikawa pouted over at Iwaizumi. His voice rose into his infuriating petulant whine. “He yelled at me.” The pout melted off into a soft smile and Oikawa leant in to give Iwaizumi a quick peck on the cheek. “And gave me the best advice I’ve ever received.” Kyoutani fake-gagged at the display of affection. Honestly, how had he not noticed how all over each other those two were?

The setter ignored him and folded his arms, looking back over to Yahaba, “Would you honestly have believed me if I’d come up to you on your first day and said ‘Hey Yahaba-kun! I know you likely have no idea who I am, but I think I might have been your cousin in a previous life’?” Oikawa laughed to himself, “No. You would have just thought I was insane.”

Yahaba thought it over for a moment, “Yeah you’re probably right.” He turned to Kyoutani, “Besides,” his eyes lit up mischievously, “I don’t think I’d have believed I’d fallen in love with this brute if I didn’t remember every moment of it.”

Kyoutani snarled at the insult and the pair of setters burst out laughing. Kyoutani looked away, feeling his face light up red as he processed the rest of what Yahaba had said.

Iwaizumi, ever the voice of reason, and Kyoutani’s personal guardian angel at this point, patted him on the back awkwardly. “Alright, we really should get back in there. Fuck knows what kind of shit Hanamaki and Matsukawa have started.” The thought of the two rambunctious third years left unsupervised was enough to remind Kyoutani that they had, in fact, ditched their teammates. During a post-game meal. He sighed to himself and shook his head, clearing it of the sappy conversation he’d just had, before returning to the restaurant and the rest of the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: Everyone knows back alleys are the best place for emotional talks
> 
> We're close to the end, my friends. Only one more chapter to go! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next chapter <3


	17. Day One of Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes one end is just another beginning.

The evening had carried on as normal, Matsukawa and Hanamaki had teased the four of them relentlessly the second they had reappeared, asking about double dates and foursomes, the latter of which had all of them gagging into their food. Oikawa gave a (far too) long and sappy final captain’s speech about how much he loved the team and how much hope he had for their futures, unsurprisingly interspersed with petty insults at both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa. Yahaba was officially named as Aoba Johsai’s new captain, his acceptance speech much more concise and much much less sentimental. Kindaichi spilt ramen all over himself. Business as usual. And through it all, Kyoutani sat quietly, trying not to let a smile show on his face.

Unfortunately, time waited for no one and eventually the shop had to close. Coach Mizoguchi paid for the food and the team filtered out into the street. Slowly but surely, they all split off, heading home either alone or in small groups. The third years had all headed off together, Oikawa had sent Kyoutani one of his infuriating winks as he waved back at him. Kyoutani flipped him off in response. Watari had bid them all goodnight outside the restaurant, his house was in the opposite direction to everyone else’s. Kindaichi and Kunimi split off close to the station. Kindaichi kept glancing at Kyoutani, even he could tell the middle blocker was still clearly bothered by the strange goings on of the day, but he seemed to decide against saying anything as he pulled Kunimi off towards a vending machine.

* * *

Eventually it was just Kyoutani and Yahaba walking side by side, their path illuminated by streetlights and what little moonlight shone through the clouds. The air was crisp as the chill of evening started to wash over the pair. Kyoutani shoved his hands into his pockets. The silence was comfortable but short lived as Yahaba looked over at Kyoutani, a blush faintly dusting his cheeks.

“My parents aren’t home.”

Kyoutani choked on his spit.

Yahaba just laughed and awkwardly thumped at his back. “Well isn’t that a familiar reaction. I believe you did the same thing when I first said that I loved you.” Kyoutani threw a punch at Yahaba but the setter danced out of the way. “So… Do you wanna come over?”

Once Kyoutani once more had control over his breathing, he glared at Yahaba. “Fuck you.”

Yahaba smirked, skipping to stand in front of Kyoutani, “Hmmm… Not tonight.” He teased, watching as Kyoutani flushed bright red at the implication.

“I- You- Ugh!” Kyoutani’s tongue felt heavy as he stumbled over his words, all retorts dying before they left his mouth. He snapped his jaw shut and huffed, causing the setter to shriek with laughter.

“You’re hilarious when you’re tongue-tied Mad Dog.” He shook with the force of his laughter, almost losing his balance as he doubled over. “But it’s adorable.”

Kyoutani stubbornly turned away, watching a nearby streetlight flicker. The sound of Yahaba’s chuckling slowly died down, only to suddenly flare up again. Kyoutani risked a glance back over at the setter only to see him hunched forward, one hand on his knees, the other covering his mouth to stifle the laughter.

“The fuck are you laughing at now?” Kyoutani snapped. Yahaba made several attempts to speak over his own laughter, the effort taking him several minutes.

“It’s just,” another small giggle, “you’re _pouting_.”

Kyoutani hadn’t thought his face could get any redder. And yet somehow, he could feel it heating up even more. Torn between running for the hills and punching the shit out of Yahaba, Kyoutani settled on growling at the setter.

“Say one more word and I’ll actually kill you.”

Yahaba just smirked, “You’ll have to catch me first.” And with that he turned and broke out into a sprint, knowing full well that Kyoutani would be right on his tail. Kyoutani snarled before taking off after Yahaba, listening to the setter’s cackle as he ran into the night.

* * *

Kyoutani chased Yahaba for several minutes, the Miyagi scenery falling behind them. Luckily, it was late enough that the paths were empty. A collision with some random unfortunate stranger was the last thing on either of their minds. The wind bit into Kyoutani’s face as he turned through the streets. He had no idea where Yahaba was leading him but he sure as hell wasn’t just gonna let him go. Luckily Yahaba never got far enough ahead that he disappeared from view. Though Kyoutani was usually the faster of the two, the exertion from the day meant that his legs weren’t cooperating as well as he’d have liked.

But eventually he did manage to close the distance, snagging Yahaba’s arm, and pulling him close, chests bumping together awkwardly from the force. If Kyoutani had paid a little more attention to their surroundings, he would have noticed their location. The two of them stood on a bridge, moonlight rippling in the river below. Kyoutani would have scoffed at the cheesy scene, but his thoughts were otherwise occupied with the boy in front of him.

Their breath mingled as they panted, noses just a few inches apart. Yahaba’s face was red. Though whether it was from the exertion, the steadily dropping temperature, or their sudden proximity was beyond Kyoutani. He hoped it was all three. “You’re a piece of shit, Shigeru.” He growled.

Yahaba just grinned. “I love you too, Kentarou.”

Their lips met, for the first time in a lifetime, and Kyoutani couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his throat. It was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative Chapter Title: The sappy ending we all deserved
> 
> Aaaaaand its done! Complete. Finished.
> 
> I have no idea how to feel lol. This fic has been my baby for so long.  
> I have ideas for new fics but I'm always accepting new inspo. I have a companion piece in the works but no set date on posting bc I can't stick to deadlines for the life of me.
> 
> I just wanted to finish this up with the biggest thank you to everyone who gave kudos, bookmarked, and commented. This is my first fic so I was understandably terrified when I posted the first chapter and I was blown away that anyone even read this thing let alone liked it :')
> 
> And as always, I hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next story <3


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